The Soul and The Flesh-The Freiza Saga
by KamiSama
Summary: Continues The Soul and the Flesh-Namek here we come!
1. I

The Soul and The Flesh~Frieza Saga Part I Once they arrived at the hospital, a new fight began: Saiyans vs. Hospital Staff. Goku yelped and howled in pain as nurses wrapped him in bandages and set his broken bones. He was being covered in casts and such, despite his struggles with the nurses. Raimi stood in a corner, wearing the "Patented Saiyan Scowl" (tm), refusing help until the orderlies promised to pull her armor off, and not cut it off as they wanted to. Both were making quite a ruckus.  


"Now Miss Raimi, be reasonable. You can't lift your arms with those broken ribs! We have to cut it off!" A huge orderly said soothingly. She eyed him and shook her head. She pointed at him and hit him with a tiny _Ki_ blast. He flew across the room, and slid up against the wall. She turned to the doctor, who looked terrified.   


"Look, just get Roshi and Chi-Chi in here for a second! They can stretch it enough to get it off! Please, this thing is two thousand years old! I can't let you hurt it!" The orderly got up, staring at her, not understanding how he'd fallen and slid so far. She threatened to pull it off herself and the doctor who was hiding behind the orderlies and nurses sighed, giving up. These two were a lot of trouble, but they knew the name of Son Goku as the man who'd won the Tenka'ichi Budokai a few years ago. If he was hurt like this, something bad must have happened, though the doubted it had anything to do with aliens. This girl had fought with Goku, and so deserved respect. Best to give into her for now.   


"Alright, you two, do as she asks. How do they pull it?" Raimi told them to just grab it at the waist and the neck and pull. Amazed, they stretched it until it went nearly across the room. Raimi neatly folded her arms, and ducked under the stretched plates as they let it go. It shrank down to Gohans size, and she grabbed it from them.   
"Ok, give it to Bulma or Chi-Chi please." She said, just before the orderlies jumped her and the nurses began to cut her stretch suit off to prep her ribs for bandaging.   


Out in the waiting room, Gohan and Kurilin had winced and jumped at each yelp from Goku. Now Raimi was squealing too, and cursing in Saiya-go as well. Chi-Chi eyed the door blandly, and then turned to her son and Kurilin. "You two are next, and Gohan has to give some blood for Goku... Gohan?" She said as the pair jumped up and ran off. She and Roshi ran after them, and brought them right back, and hustled them into the treatment room. Two more sets of voices joined the yelps of the Saiyans.   
~~~~~~~~~  
Later, Goku lay in a "healing" bed, wrapped head to toe in bandages, only his face and a small shock of his hair visible. Raimi was in a sort of bodice, a shell cast to hold her ribs in place and help her support her back, which was mildly injured as well. She was lying in a normal bed, next to Gohan's. He was bandaged as well, with many small band-aids on his cute face. Kurilin had his left arm in a sling, and a halo of bandages around his head, but they were all going to be fine soon enough. Well, Goku was supposed to be out of commission for four months, but Raimi had assured him he'd be better faster than they thought.   


"So, we have no permanent damage, and we can go home in a few days!" Kurilin gushed happily. Goku smiled, and congratulated them.   
"I'm here for a while, I guess. But I'm glad for you guys. Hey, Raimi how 'bout you?" He said.   
"Oh, I just lost a lot of blood, but other than a punctured lung, I'm ok." She smiled and winked at Kurilin, who had winced at her mention of the injuries Vegeta had inflicted. He could hardly believe they had made it in such good shape. He turned and looked at the grouchy Yajirobei, who was bandaged as well; he was no where near as hurt as they were, but he seemed proud of himself for his tiny part in the fight.   


He was growling about all the abuse he suffered at the hands of Vegeta, and that he still wasn't being admitted, even for an overnight observation despite the pain he was in. He might have internal injuries, you know...  
"You are that desperate for hospital food?" Karin said sarcastically. The tubby samurai ignored his sensei, and pouted like a child. Kurilin turned to Goku and smiled broadly. Goku knew he was up to some thing, and grinned back as Kurilin winked at Raimi too.   


"Hey, Goku, you should have seen Yajirobei fight!" He said. He spread his arms out and waved them, despite the sling and binding on his left hand. His face was set in a fearful grimace.   
"'Hey hey! I was just foolin' wit' yah, Mr. Vegeta! I didn't really hurtcha did I? Heh, I know!! You could let me into your team! I'm pretty good, ain't I!?' He really said that!" Kurilin said imitating the fat mans voice, only in a falsetto tone. Everyone laughed, and the samurai growled.   
"Hey, that was just a stratagem to trick 'em. I was throwin' him off!"   


"Hmmm, it looked to me like you were the one getting thrown!" Raimi drawled dryly. Chi-Chi and Gohan went into peals of laughter as he blushed with embarrassment. Just then, Bulma burst into the room. Her hair was swept up in a far more cheerful style than the severe pony tail she'd worn this past year, and she was dressed in jeans and a tight Capsule Corp. t-shirt. She looked very pretty, and not like her normal grumpy self.   


"Guess what guys!" She chirped. Roshi stared at her and then chuckled.   
"Oh, it's you, Bulma! I thought they'd sent in a new nurse for these three!" The nurses were in fear of Raimi and in despair over Goku. Neither wanted to keep still, or follow the orders of the doctors. And lugging food up for them was a full time job also. Three of them had refused to take care of the Saiyans so far. Bulma sighed in exasperation at him.   


"Oh be quiet! Turn on the TV!" She ran over to the TV, and turned it to the news station. They watched as a reporter stood outside a room with one thick window in it. Through the window, Nappas' space pod could be seen. The reporter was talking about the devastated city and the discovery of the pod, as Bulma waved the keypad at them.   
"But this isn't good! If the scientists have found it already..." Roshi commented.   
"That just adds to the fun. Think of how silly they will look when I send it soaring away! See! I only have to point this thing at the screen and punch in some buttons... "  


"Wait! Bulma, give me the..." Raimi called, but too late. The pod swelled and blew up, leaving the reporter stunned and the others gaping in horror. He signed off, and they stared at the TV worriedly. Bulma was in shock.   
"Ahhh! No no! I told myself NOT to touch the _SELF DESTRUCT BUTTON_!!!" She shrieked, making the windows rattle. Kurilin was floored by the enormity of the situation.   
"The last hope, is now gone, it's over... " Karin sighed sadly. Even Goku had lost his optimism.   


"Man, even Kinto'un couldn't go fast enough... " He said. Kurilin and Bulma were yelling at each other, blaming the other for the big goof up. Then Bulma broke off and began to pace madly up and down the room, waving her arms in self-recrimination.   
"Oh no! Now we'll never get to Namek! Never never!" She groaned over and over. Raimi slipped out of her bed and went to the window. She leaned against the wall, and then smiled as she saw Mr. Popo suddenly appear. He smiled at her brightly, though she thought she could see his grief for Kami-sama in his broad black face.   


"Hello, Mr. Popo!" She said, bowing slightly, wincing at the pain her ribs caused. She turned back to the bed and stood against the wall, waiting for them to notice him. Bulma noticed first, and screamed in surprise as she saw the short pitch-black man floating outside the window. She fell over in the classic anime face fault and saw everyone staring either at her or Mr. Popo with wide eyes. Raimi stood over her and smiled wanly.   


"You'd think you've never seen a man fly, Bulma!" She said. Bulma stood and blushed as Kurilin introduced the caretaker of Kami's Tenka to them. Mr. Popo began to explain about remembering Kami talking about a ship, and would one of them come with him to see if it really was one please? Bulma was elected, by virtue of both her technical know how, and being healthy. Raimi offered to go, and found herself facing both Chi-Chi and Kame-sen'nin. By virtue of _her_ face and _his_ prowess, Raimi rescinded her offer.   


Bulma warily crawled onto the carpet, and after a moment of panic when it waved in the wind, was off with Mr. Popo. Kurilin watched them disappear worriedly.   
~~~~~~~~~~ In only an hour, Bulma was back, raving about the ship, and how fast it was. She was shaking with anticipation to modify it.   
"Oh, its so perfect! With it, we'll be at Namek in only one month! Of course we have to remodel the interior a little... But we can take off in three days!" She said, out of breath.   
"That is right!" Mr. Popo agreed.   


"Wow, going to Namek in Kami-sama's old ship! Isn't that kinda ironic?" Kurilin said. Raimi nodded, smiling at the optimism of her friends. Oh course this was a Dragonball hunt, and Dragonball hunts rarely went well. But why bother reminding them of that? She was going to go with them, and maybe she could stop some of the mayhem she knew to happen...  


"So Mr. Popo, we'll leave the navigation to you!" Bulma said. Mr. Popo's already comical face got even funnier as he shook his head.   
"What? Mr. Popo cannot go."   
"What? But, you're the only one who understands Namekian that we know of! And you look like you can handle it, you're a martial artist too, right? The only way it can happen is if you go!" Bulma said, her voice a dry squeak of fear. Mr. Popo shook his head, and refused again.   


"Nope. Can't go. No one would be at Kami-sama's palace for two months; can't have that. But, not to worry! I'll teach you the Namekian, Bulma." He smiled, pleased with his solution.   
"You have to go, Bulma. Besides you're the only one who could fix the thing if it goes haywire." Kurilin pointed out. Bulma pouted, reduced to a simple mechanic in a few words.   


"Man! All right, I'll do it; it doesn't sound too dangerous... I'll have to add a shower, and a more comfortable bed, and a stereo, and maybe a DVD... But I'm not going alone. Someone has to come with me." Her face was set determinedly, though she seemed glad to hear that Yajirobei refused to go.   
"Well, two months round trip!? Oh, I suppose I can go... " Roshi said, looking delighted.   
"That will just add needless danger... to ME! Lesse, Son's in no shape... Kurilin, you'll come with me, won't you?!"   


"Um, me? Well, alright, I'd wanted to train, we aren't sure when the Saiyan will come back... " Kurilin said, forgetting what Raimi had told them earlier.   
"Man, you're so lucky, I want to go too. I'd like to see Namek's Shenlong... "Goku said wistfully. Suddenly, Gohan sat up, eyes hard in his little face.   
"Take me with you! Please?!" Instantly, Chi-Chi was at his side, petting his bandaged head.   


"G-Gohan... What kind of silly little joke are you making?" She said soothingly.   
"It isn't a joke, I seriously want to go." Gohan said calmly. Chi-Chi began to get pale. "Don't be ridiculous! Two months, on top of all this I just went through... "  
"I, I'm sorry. I want to go, no matter what. I need to bring Piccolo back. I want to do it myself, with my own hands." Goku smiled as he heard his son's small dignified voice.   
"I see. Good for you Gohan." He said. Even though the decision was made already, Chi-Chi didn't seem to realize it yet.   


"What the! What are you two talking about? There is no need for Gohan to do that!! What if something happens? Two months after an entire YEAR of worrying! What about your schooling? You are enrolled in cram school, and you are way behind all the other kids already! I won't allow it, I absolutely FORBID IT!!! Who cares about Piccolo? You are a child, you should act like one!!" Chi-Chi was screaming now, really worked up. Everyone was backed up to the walls, and Goku looked ready to get out of his bed bandages casts and all, and get into it for his son. But, Gohan surprised everyone.   


"BE QUIET!!" He roared, fists clenched with fury at his mother's dismissal of his beloved sensei. Everyone went "OOOOOOOOOOOOOHH!", and Chi-Chi froze in shock, eyes wide. There was silence.   


"My little boy... he's become a defiant delinquent... " She whispered, stunned. Gohan sighed and shook his head slowly.   
"Mom. This isn't the time to be speaking of such things. Everyone, all of us fought for the whole world. We have to bring those who died back. And we WILL have to fight Vegeta again. We need everyone back that we can get." He stared up at Chi-Chi intently, looking far older than his five years.   


"I can fight too, help out if there is trouble. I have to do something. I have to." He said. Gyu-Mao rested a hand on Chi-Chi's shoulder gently as she sagged dejectedly. A warrior himself, he understood Gohan's determination.   
"You lose, Chi-Chi. You should do the right thing. Let Gohan go with Bulma, with your blessing."   
"Hey, what am I, chopped liver? You think I'm gonna miss this?" Raimi said brightly. Goku smiled at her.   
"Nope, I figured you'd go!" he said, eyes showing his pride for his small son. Bulma sighed in relief.   


"Good, I'm glad there will be another girl going along. But, aren't you supposed to be in the hospital for two more weeks? I hoped to go in ten days... " Raimi smirked at that, and everyone laughed, feeling sorry for anyone who tried to stop her from leaving the hospital.   
"Oh, I'll be out in five days, no problem. But, where will I be staying?"   


"Oh, with me of course! Now let's see I'll work on the Namekgo, and revamp the ship, and we will meet at the Turtle House in ten days. Agreed?" They all nodded, and Bulma left with Mr. Popo for her lessons in Namekian language. Karin and Yajirobei left for the Tower, and Roshi went to eat. Raimi and Kurilin wanted to leave the Son family alone, but Chi-Chi was resigned. She shook her head and came over to Raimi, resting one hand on the younger woman's shoulder and squeezing with incredible strength.   


"Raimi? I was wondering, would you look out for Gohan for me again? I, well, I know you will protect him for me, and you did help him here... " Chi-Chi asked. Raimi nodded and smiled gently.   
"Of course, Chi-Chi. I had planned on it. He'll be fine, I swear. And I know you were just being protective of him, he's your son; will you forgive me for my words yesterday?" Raimi was trying to keep from alienating the other woman, but she was surprised.   


"No need. I was wrong. I shouldn't blame Goku, or you, or anyone if Gohan gets hurt. He's... he's growing up already, and he... I wasn't thinking rationally." She turned to Goku, and they smiled at each other in a sweet way that made Raimi and Kurilin wide eyed with wonder. Neither would have ever imagined that Goku or Chi-Chi could ever be so... loving, especially to each other. Chi-Chi bent and kissed Goku on the cheek and whispered something. He nodded and winked at her, and she left with her father. Goku closed his eyes, as did Gohan, and they both fell asleep instantly.   


Kurilin looked at his old friend with envy. He couldn't believe that what he'd just seen was between the man who didn't know boys from girls, and the worst tempered woman ever. He realized that Goku had changed more than anyone had realized in the last five years. He turned to Raimi and saw her smile.   
"Could you hear them?" he asked bluntly. She nodded, and sighed.   


"She said, 'Eienno Koibitotachi?', and he said, 'Hai, Aishiteru Chi-Chi' . Goku said that! Man, I think have cavities now from hearing that, but it was nice to see, wasn't it Kurilin?" He nodded sadly. As if she read his mind, Raimi lifted his chin and looked into his eyes.   
"How would you feel if I told you that you will get the girl in the end? The most beautiful girl at that? Some said she was prettier than Bulma, and she chooses you." She said softly. Kurilin blinked and then shook his head.   


"I can't believe it. Me? Nah, you're just being nice... He saw her smile wickedly, and she shrugged.   
"Hmmm. Well, when it happens, I'm gonna pinch your cheeks so hard, it will hurt for days! Oh, do you like blondes?" she chuckled as she went to her bed, and settled down, asleep almost as fast as Goku had been. Kurilin stood for a moment and then went to his own bed, but sleep eluded him as he imagined this blonde beauty that chose him as the man she wanted to marry...  
~~~~~~~~~~ The doctors were amazed at Raimi's progress after three days, and allowed her to check out with Kurilin and Gohan, albeit on the condition she avoid strenuous activity and extreme movement (which she had no intention of keeping). Goku was stuck for the duration, it seemed. Still, the day before they left the hospital, Raimi had a long talk with Goku, alone. He was the only one she felt safe in discussing the future with. He was so simple, so innocent, that unless he was actively in battle, she knew he'd keep his own counsel and not think about it too hard.   


"So, you know there will be trouble, hmmm?" He said, reading her face.   
"Yes, of course. When is there ever an easy Dragonball hunt? They must be cursed or something, they seem protected by being so hard to get."   
"Nothing found easy is appreciated." Goku quoted incorrectly. Raimi raised an eyebrow at him. He smiled. "Master Roshi taught me that one!"   


"Yes, and I guess it's correct in this case. There are at least three parties who want them this time. And the Nameks will of course hide them from everyone. So, it's gonna be a scramble for the Dragonballs, just as dictated by tradition." She shifted uncomfortably. Her ribs hurt far worse than she let on, but she did feel up to this trip. She didn't want to miss one moment of the action on Namek, and she'd lie and cheat to get there with her friends, rather than wait to go with Goku when the time came.   


"Who else wants them?" Goku asked innocently. Raimi wasn't fooled. She shook her head.   
"Oh, no. You'll just have to find out for yourself. But, we will get them, and our wishes too. Hold that in your mind instead of worrying about us. The news will seem bad, but I have a few ideas of what I can do to make things a little easier. So, be strong. We need you to be your old unbeatable self. Got it?"   
"Yep! You can count on me! Um, I'm not gonna die again, am I?" He asked very low. She leaned down and kissed his cheek.   
"No... not this time... "  
~~~~~~~~~~  
The ship was coming along nicely, although Dr. Briefs was still trying to find a space for the cappuccino machine. Bulma wanted to refurbish it some more to make it comfortable for a one-month voyage. She needed a DVD with a DVD library, and a stereo with CD library. Gohan and Kurilin wanted a space to work out in, and Raimi needed lots of food to help her recover; there was enough capsuled food for a large army, courtesy of Mrs. Briefs.   


Raimi also gave Dr. Briefs Nappa's scouter, which she had picked up on the way home. He was delighted with this new technology, and it wasn't even broken, like Raditz's had been. He even promised her half the revenues from whatever Capsule Corp made off this new stuff. Raimi wasn't sure if he'd remember to do so, or even be able to use it, but she was touched by his good intentions. She really liked both of Bulma's parents. They seemed to like her too, and Mrs. Briefs took Raimi shopping for her space trip, and helped design clothes to go with her back-brace.   


So, Raimi was ready when ten days after the fight, they all met at Kame-house.   



	2. II

The Soul and The Flesh~Frieza Saga Part II "Wow, Bulma, you sure this thing can really fly into space?" Kurilin said, as he looked the funny looking ship over. Bulma humphed angrily; she hadn't gotten much sleep in the last ten days, and was VERY grumpy because of it. Only Raimi was somewhat spared from her razor tongue.  


"Ha! What a nice "space suit" you have Kurilin! Are you sure you are ready for outer space, dressed like that? I even cut my hair so I could wear a space suit more comfortably." Kurilin wisely didn't point out that Raimi still wore her yard-long hair uncut.   
"And just where is Gohan?" She snapped, wanting to take off quickly. She'd waited too long already to get Yamcha back.   


"Oh, they called, and wanted to see Goku once more before Gohan leaves. They'll be here soon. Say, should we bring an umbrella? It might be rainy up there on Namek." Bulma rolled her eyes at this silliness. Raimi shook her head. "Namek is always sunny and warm. No need for an umbrella, but you might want some sunscreen." She said calmly. She was itching to go too, actually. Her stomach was full of butterflies, but she didn't know why. Just then Roshi saw Chi-Chi's aircar coming in for a landing.   


"Hoo-wee. So this is the spaceship? Wow!" Gyu-Mao said as he stepped out of the 'car. Chi-Chi fussed over Gohan, who seemed reluctant to come out. Finally he emerged, and everyone was hard put not to laugh at the poor child. His once long and wild hair was cut into a bowl cut and slicked down with gel. He wore shorts and a little suit coat, with a bowtie. He looked so ridiculous, that Raimi had to turn her back so she wouldn't bust up right there. Kurilin was much less sensitive.   


"Ha ha ha ha! Are you really Gohan? What happened to your head?" He gasped between chuckles.   
"Dad laughed too... " Gohan sighed.   
"You're going into space, where no man has gone before. You must be on your best behavior, and make us proud!" Chi-Chi said happily. Bulma sighed as she saw all the junk Chi-Chi had packed for her son. She and Raimi had only brought a few things, despite Mrs. Briefs protests that "Her girls" had to look nice out there. She sat limply by the ship and mumbled about being washed out.   


"Now then Kurilin! We are counting on you to find those Dragonballs!" Master Roshi said. Kurilin shook hands with his master and nodded, his face determined. Raimi and the others got onto the lift and waited as Gohan said goodbye to everyone. Bulma growled the magic word: Piccolo. Kurilin and Gohan gaped as the lift brought them up into the ship. Raimi and Bulma set off to the control panel while the guys looked about like bumpkins.   


"Will you two hurry and sit? I wanna go!" Bulma snapped as she sat in her chair. Raimi sat in her chair (Added for her since the ship only had three originally) and strapped herself in. The guys typically, stared at Bulma, who ignoring their safety spat the command to take off in Namek. The ship took off at horrendous speed, dragging them all into their seats with the force of six G's. After a few seconds (Looooong seconds!) The gravity returned to normal, and Bulma stood.   
"Ok, get up if you want." She said snidely. Gohan and Kurilin looked very rattled by the take-off. Bulma sniffed and moved the back of the ship.   


"Hey, uh, where are you going?" Kurilin asked. Bulma turned and declared that she was going to change. Raimi got up as well; she wanted to change into something more comfortable too. When she and Bulma emerged, they saw that Gohan was dressed like Piccolo. Kurilin looked up at Bulma and Raimi and blinked. Bulma wore a black stretch suit, copied from Raimi's antique Saiyan suit, and a suede tunic with a belt at her waist. She also wore the uniquely Capsule Corp boots. Raimi wore a cute little suit, which looked basically like the kind the Sailor Senshi wore in her old life, with a tightly fitted top and her rib/back brace over it, short skirt, and tights, but no bows or kerchiefs and long sleeves. She would have worn boots, but in the ship there was no need, so she wore her new _Ki_nese slippers. Her hair was pulled back into a braid that fell down her back. They both looked pretty, though Bulma's face was remote and serious.   


"Um, those are strange pajamas, guys... " Kurilin said.   
"Yeah, you really gonna sleep in those outfits?" Gohan asked. Now even Raimi was annoyed, but didn't say anything. "Oh course they're not pajamas! I for one felt strange for being so prepared for space, since you two didn't seem to care!" Bulma snarled. Raimi raised an eyebrow at them, shaking her head...  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
One week later, they were VERY bored. Kurilin and Gohan spent most of the time image training, fighting psychically. Raimi meditated a lot, and exercised alone, with a special gravity enhancer on her brace (Dr. Briefs was really quite the genius, and very kind too, to make so many goodies for Raimi so quickly) Bulma, however had almost nothing to do. She'd exhausted her DVD supply, and her CDs as well. She couldn't read the martial art treatises Raimi had (She just fell asleep when she tried) so she pestered everyone for the fun of it.   


Sometimes, Raimi could be convinced to sing for them, as she had been found to possess a very nice voice, much to everyone's surprise. She knew many of the songs Bulma had along, but half of them she knew with different words, because of her strange origin. Still it was fun to do Karaoke out in space.   


However, Raimi was lost in thought right then. She was peripherally aware of Bulma watching Gohan and Kurilin training at the moment. She was also amused by Bulma's lack of modesty: she was attired in a black tank top and pink panties at the moment. Raimi was dressed in her gi with Kami-sama's kanji on it.   
With a gasp, both guys broke off their psychic spar, and sat panting. They praised each other as usual; both please with his partner's performance.   


"Say, training in your mind is very nice and all, but this place is really messy! Could you two clean it up? There are ladies present." Bulma said as she sipped her soda.   
"But, you made the mess, Bulma. We cleaned our mess already... " Kurilin asked.   
"I'm busy here! I have soooo much to think about. All you guys have to do is sit there." Bulma said reasonably. "But, I thought you said you're bored... " Kurilin tried again.   


"Aw, shut up already! Can't you be considerate to a delicate lady?" She turned and wandered over to Raimi, who was slipping into a nice no-mind state, and wasn't really paying attention, that is until she heard Bulma say, "I wonder, where did that Vegeta go?" The conversation continued, but Raimi found herself seeking and then finding the dim flicker of the Princes mind, possibly triggered by Bulma's comment about him. She felt him, sleeping deeply, lost in an endless dream-loop of his defeat to the earth's Senshi. He twitched and groaned, tortured by his own obsession with "Kakarrot". She jerked slightly, and also moaned the name, making her companions notice her. Gohan trotted over, and shook her shoulder, but she didn't wake. All three of them stared at her, worried.   


"Um, what should we do, Kurilin?" Bulma asked. Kurilin lifted one of Raimi's eyelids, and saw that her eyes were rolled all the way back, a sign of a deep trance.   
"There's nothing to do. She should come out of it when she is ready. We'll keep an eye on her though... "  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
Deep in space, not too far from their destination, a small planet was the current favored home of a tyrant. It wasn't the first planet so favored, as it's name implied: Frieza 79. On this day, the soldiers were about to receive an unexpected guest.   
Alarms pealed a warning; an unauthorized ship was approaching. The soldiers scrambled, trying to identify the passenger of the pod. Quickly it was realized that it was a combat model, and they all sighed in relief. At least it wasn't the tyrant come back so soon.   


"Hey, it's Vegeta-sama!" A human-like man said. He and his station mate looked at each other, concerned. The amphibian type partner gulped nervously.   
"But, we weren't informed of his return. Did something happen?"   


"No point in taking a chance," The man said. "This is the control room! Vegeta-sama is arriving, send out a reception party!" He looked up and watched the pod scream down to the pad made to catch it. Outside, the small party waited nervously. Vegeta was too touchy, and as the favorite of Frieza, was never punished for killing anyone he chose to. However, it was apparent that something was wrong immediately.   


"There is only one pod! Where is Nappa-san?" One short scaly guy asked. No one answered. The pod landed with a smack, and they snapped to attention. And stood for a few long minutes before they realized that Vegeta wasn't coming out.   
"His life signs are very low... " Scaly said as he punched his scouter. They came closer, and peered into the small window, and were shocked to see that the Prince was hooked up to the life support, and was beaten to a pulp.   


"Oh no! Quick, get him to the treatment center, stat!" The med robots appeared and whisked the broken Saiyan away...  
Vegeta was awake, and fuming with anger at having these underlings see him in such a state. His eye was cracked open; he saw their amazed faces, and was too weak to even growl in defiance. As they moved the pod into the med lift, he let himself fade into unconsciousness...   
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
With a gasp, Raimi jerked awake. She leapt up and slapped her hand to her right eye. Kurilin woke up from his sleep, and saw her looking around, apparently confused. He got up and shook her.   


"Raimi! Wake up, you're on the ship, remember?" She was gulping air and shivering, but seemed to be remembering where she was. She looked down at herself and saw that she wasn't sitting naked in an Isolation-Chamber, wasn't on the edge of death, wounded grievously. That was what was happening to Vegeta right now... Raimi shook her head and looked at Kurilin.   


"I was... I saw... Oh, I can't even tell you. It was so strange... How long have I been out?"   
"Almost two days. You kept mumbling that other name of Goku's, and jerking like you were hurting... are you sure you are ok?" He asked. She tried to stand, but felt very weak. She laughed and sighed.   


"I'm fine, but I'm starving... Wanna eat with me?" He declined to eat, but sat and had some soda as she ate. She finally decided to tell him what she'd seen. He was amazed.   
"You mean you saw, and even felt Vegeta's experience?" Raimi shrugged.   


"I already knew what was going to happen, and even had a rough timeline worked out in my head. I just don't know why or how I found him. I don't like it, he doesn't deserve my tender emotions, but," she sipped her soda and looked intently at Kurilin, "I felt his fear and sorrow at this defeat. Oh, I know what we would have lost if he'd won! But, Vegeta has nothing left, only his pride. His title is empty, his empire gone; he is as much a slave as he wished to make us. And... he reminds me of his father, they were both so... " She stopped, unable to finish, to say what she felt.   
Instead of pestering her about it, Kurilin asked her about her training on Vegeta-sei, and for once, she spoke of it. She talked for a while, and they fell asleep. The next day she talked more about it, and her stories helped pass the time, as well as educate them on the adversary they considered to be the most deadly they would face. Raimi was too frightened of the real threat to speak of him, and felt more and more nervous as they approached Namek.   
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
One night, almost two weeks later, Raimi dreamt that Vegeta was healed, at least physically. He was released from the Iso-tank and dressed himself in new armor. After a short argument with a purple squid-guy, who Raimi knew to be Kiwi, he headed out for Namek. She woke up and dressed herself once more in her black fuku, and packed a special capsule case with her armor, some food, and other essential supplies. She sat and stared out the window, counting the days since they had left.   


"Thirty-four days. And now we enter merrily to Hell... " She felt a sharp pang of remorse for her poor companions. They had grown closer in this month, and she didn't want to see them hurt, but knew that all of them would suffer terribly in the next seven days. She even had a feeling that she wasn't going to live through this one, but that hardly mattered to her. Keeping Gohan and Bulma alive was the most important thing to her. She and Kurilin were warriors, and they would face this as warriors should, but for all his power, Gohan was still so young, and Bulma was weak and helpless. Well, Bulma could flay a man to the quick with her tongue, but that wouldn't work on the evil they were up against, not at all...  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
Vegeta was tapping his fingers impatiently on his thigh as he finally saw Namek come into view. He slid his scouter off his head and sneered at the planets green face. He'd read the info on Namek, and found it to be useless for anything other than target practice. Frieza was sure to have agreed, and was probably blasting the Namekian populous to bits even then... But Vegeta wasn't worried about the Nameks; he needed to worry about Kiwi, who was on his tail, and closing fast.   



	3. III

The Soul and The Flesh~Frieza Saga Part III "We did it! We are really here!" Bulma yelled, and then went to check the readings on the atmosphere, to see if they could breathe here without suits. Raimi immediately went outside with Gohan and Kurilin to look around. They were by the edge of a lake, under a greenish sky. The water was blue, making the world look upside-down. Still it was beautiful in a simple, austere way.   
"This is so odd, it looks like the place Piccolo took me to train... " Gohan said. Kurilin nodded.   


"Yeah, it does. Makes sense, Pic probably felt at home there, you know, instinctually?" He said. Raimi wandered over to the water's edge; and looking out to the many islands and pools, wondered where the Cold Tyrant was. She could feel him already, so powerful that he partially clouded everyone around him.   


"Oh, well, why don't you idiots just stroll on out? Did you bring lawn-chairs?" Bulma shouted, making them jump. The guys looked baffled, and Raimi waved cheerfully, trying to remind Bulma that she had known Namek was safe to be on. Bulma wasn't to be mollified though, and brought out her Dragon Radar.   
"Sheesh! Let's just start looking for the DB's... " Raimi wandered up, wanting to see the position of the Dragonballs on the radar. Bulma gaped at the screen, and then got very excited.   


"Look! They are here! We did it!" She grabbed Kurilins hands and they danced about happily. Raimi rolled her eyes, and they felt the spike of power just as Gohan did.   
"Um, Kurilin, Raimi, there's some real strong _KI_ over there." He said, pointing. They dancers froze and looked, though there was nothing to see. Raimi cleared her throat; the time had come to come clean.   


"Um, yes... see, it's like this... " She saw that the were all staring at her curiously, yet with some fear. She smiled wanly.   
"Uh, you remember Vegeta? Well, he has, had a boss see, and his boss wants the Dragonballs for himself, and well, we have to keep him from getting them, or the world, the universe is over. So, I... " Just then, they heard a roaring sound, and turned to see a sphere hurtling to the ground. Raimi winced to see that it was Vegeta's ship. She turned to Kurilin, but he was ahead of her.   


"Gohan, lower your _KI_! He'll sense you!" He snapped, and then glared at Raimi. "Ok, why did you let us come up here?" Raimi chewed her lower lip, and had to think about it for a moment.   
"As I said, there is a menace far worse than Vegeta here. Vegeta's old boss is here, and he MUST NOT get those Dragonballs. I can promise you that we will win them in the end, but for now, Bulma has to contact Roshi and get Goku up out of bed, and on his way here. Then, we... " She stiffened as she felt Vegeta emerge from his pod, and she could tell that he was hiding a lot of his power. She punched her scouter and told it to adjust for the wide range of _KI_ it would see, so it wouldn't explode when it "saw" Frieza. Yep, he was over to the north. Now if she could just hear him...  


"Uh, Earth to Raimi!" Kurilin called. Raimi jumped and shook herself.   
"Oh yes, where was I? Yeah, we are here to save the Dragonballs from this guy. I wish I could have told you, but you'd never have come, and you know that _KI_-_KI_ would throw a fit. So, I just kept silent. And so... " They fell silent, as Kurilin digested this information, and saw the truth of her words. He knew that he would have backed out if he'd known that they were flying into danger, and Chi-Chi would have tied Gohan down to stop him. He also knew that Raimi probably would have come alone if need be. He felt a little ashamed by his knowledge of his own shortcomings, and squared his shoulders.   


"Raimi, you're right. We would not have come if we'd known. And so, since we are here, what do we do first?" Raimi smiled and held out her hand, which he took and they shook on their continued friendship.   
"Well, we... " They both heard Bulma say goodbye to Roshi, then as she hung up the connection, they heard the scream on another ship landing. All of them winced, and Kurilin turned to Raimi and stuttered until she calmed him.   


"Forget him, Vegeta will take care of him. Now... " Bulma suddenly laughed hysterically and bolted for the ship.   
"Ok, then, I'll see you in two months, OK? I won't be much help anyway!" Raimi shook her head.   


"You stay here! You can't go now; you'll be blasted from the sky! They'd think you were Vegeta. You have to stay, but you will be helpful, Bulma. Just hang tight for a sec, ok?" Bulma went pale at the mention of getting shot down, and gulped as Raimi turned and peered into the distance towards where Vegeta and Kiwi were closing on each other.   


"Hey, feel that?" Gohan said. Kurilin nodded, and they looked to the west (It seemed to be the west, who knew with Nameks three suns confusing things?)   
"Its too weak to be Vegeta... Maybe it's a Namek... " Kurilin said. They waited as two ugly guys came into view. One was roughly humanoid, the other was a reptilian type; both pulled up short and sneered when they saw the small party from Earth.   


"They aren't Namekians!" Both aliens and Earthlings said at the same time. Raimi giggled, stuck by the silliness of the moment, but quickly got serious. She turned and looked at the ship, wondering if she should just get rid of them now... But she hesitated too long. One of the two goons aimed his laser at the ship, and fired at it, punching a huge hole into the side of it, rendering it useless for space flight.   


"Well, that's that!" Raimi sighed. She turned and glared at them, but left the disposal of these goons to the boys. Gohan and Kurilin suddenly powered up, and blurred out. The goons whimpered in horror, and the boys reappeared in front of them. Gohan gave the lizard guy a huge punch, while Kurilin kicked the human-like guy in the teeth. They smacked into each other and fell into the lake, where Raimi quickly lost track of their _KI_ signatures.   


Gohan and Kurilin gracefully landed on the lakeshore, while Bulma sobbed forlornly about the ship. Raimi bent and hugged her friend.   
"Bulma, please don't worry! I swear, you'll be home real soon! I promise, you have to believe me. Now, I hate to do this, but I have to leave you guys... "  
"No!" All three of her friends yelled. She jumped and then shook her head.   


"Yes! First, I gotta see that fight between Vegeta and Kiwi; it's going to be very cool! Second, I have to go and find all of Frieza's men and help destroy the scouters. Without them, they can't find the Dragonballs!" Understanding dawned on their faces, but Bulma still looked scared.   
"But, how will we find you, or you us?" She said. Raimi smiled, and tapped her own scouter.   


"I have it set to see you!" She pointed at Bulma, who had almost no _KI_ at all. But, it was brilliant, since no one would be looking for a _KI_ level of 2! Bulma would be safe, and Raimi could still find her anywhere. She told them to go find some shelter, and promised to find them as soon as possible, then set off on her own.   


"Man, she's nuts! Going to watch Vegeta fight this Kiwi! I wanna hide myself. Well, come on guys, we better go and find somewhere safe to hide Bulma, and try to get a hold of Master Roshi again... " Kurilin said. Gohan nodded, though he looked after Raimi with longing, wishing he could have gone to see the fight too...  
~~~~~~~~~~  
Raimi didn't fly, but leapt from point to point with graceful jumps. She was able to get to the spot where Vegeta and Kiwi were sparring verbally in preparation for the real fight to come without them seeing her.   


"Ha! So Vegeta! It seems that the time has finally come for us to settle this once and for all!" Kiwi's voice drifted to Raimi in her hiding spot. She sucked in her _KI_ hard, lowering it as far as she could, and peeked around the corner. Her eyes widened at the sight of Kiwi, who was the first truly alien person she'd seen this close. His skin was purple, and he was very tall, with a high cranium that had two short tube-like holes at the sides. He had two antennae, similar to a catfish's on his cheeks, and his mouth was lipless. Mostly he looked like a squid, but his humanoid body was strong.   


Vegeta stood only twenty feet from Kiwi, smiling like the cat that ate the canary.   
~~~~~~~~~~  
"I'm impressed by your courage, Kiwi! Facing me like this, and Frieza nowhere nearby to save you!" Vegeta said. Kiwi sneered.   
"You are a fool for coming here, Vegeta! Frieza is very upset with your insubordination, and I have finally gotten permission to kill you because of it!"   
"Humph, you, kill me? Don't make me laugh, Kiwi! Do you really think you can kill me?" Vegeta replied.   


"The time has finally come to settle the score. You've been slacking off! With that measly power, you haven't a chance against me!" Kiwi jeered, annoyed by the Prince's lack of fear. Vegeta laughed and sneered as well.   
"Haven't I? Well, I'll just have to show you this little thing I discovered when I went to Earth... "  
"Yes, let me guess, you learned to run away?!" Kiwi roared with laughter. Raimi chuckled softly, and braced herself for the fight. Vegeta spread his feet and began to power up. The light from his _KI_ began to blot out the light of the Namekian suns.   


"No, not that. I learned TO HIDE MY TRUE POWER!" He roared, his _KI_ skyrocketing. Raimi was forced to turn off her scouter for a few seconds, or risk it blowing up.   
"You can conceal your power?" Kiwi asked, not understanding. He could see Vegeta's _KI_ gathering around him, but didn't want to believe it.   


"Now, then, watch my Combat power count closely on your scouter, Squid face!" Vegeta said. Kiwi did so, and his eyes widened in surprise.   
"I... Impossible... Your power is supposed to be the same as mine!" Kiwi gasped. Vegeta laughed manically at this.   


"Fool! I've been fighting continuously, in real battles, not silly little spars to kill time on Frieza 79! I nearly died on Earth! How could you hope to keep up with me, snuggled up safe and sound under Frieza's tail?!" Vegeta tossed his head back and screamed as he pushed himself to his limit. Having gone this far, he decided to go all the way. Raimi saw her scouter click on and gasped as she saw the numbers.   


"22,000... 23,000..." with a small explosion, Kiwi's scouter exploded, and Vegeta wasn't even quite done yet. He began to back away from the Saiyan, eyes darting as he looked for assistance. No one was coming to his rescue though. Vegeta relaxed and stepped forward. Raimi gave a silent whistle as she noted that the high number was 24,545.   


That meant Vegeta was stronger than she was, and apparently stronger than both of the big guys with Frieza as well. She looked around cautiously to be sure she could hide if necessary. She couldn't afford to let Vegeta see her here, not if he was that strong!   
"Yes, those third class Saiyans were very educational! I learned a lot while fighting them... " Kiwi swallowed and tried a new tactic.   


"Hey, Vegeta, I just thought of something... Let me join you, I mean you'll need help if you really want to take down Frieza, right? You can't do it all alone. I can be very helpful; I've always secretly hated the mas-uh, Frieza for a long time myself! Not a bad idea, combined we can take out Dodoria and Zarbon easily!" Kiwi was obviously underestimating both Vegeta's intelligence and his tolerance. The Prince looked faintly disgusted.   


"Hmmm, And here I thought you were just a coward, Kiwi, but now I see that you're a liar too... " He said.   
"... Lying, me... No, you can trust ME Vegeta... Oh, Master Frieza!!" At the name, Vegeta shot a look over his shoulder, and Kiwi charged up a Sokidan that he obviously thought would end the Prince right there.   


"Fool!!" He yelled and let it fly at Vegeta. The Saiyan turned and glared at the orange ball before it enveloped him. Kiwi let fly about twenty more _KI_ spheres, which met and added to the explosion. Raimi was forced to leap to a new perch as the rocks she was hidden by cracked and fell to ruble in the shockwave. She ducked behind a new cliff, and peered out cautiously.   


Kiwi was panting from his efforts, and chuckled, not realizing that Vegeta was only a few meters away.   
"Ha! Better a liar than a fool! I don't care how strong you are, you're useless if you leave yourself wide open." Kiwi said, feeling good.   
"You know, I can't believe that even you'd stoop so low, Squid face. But more disappointing than your ethics, is your pathetic attempt at strategy." Vegeta said, shaking his head in disgust.   
"B-but... But I just..." Kiwi said, panicking as he realized at last that it was he who was going to die, not the Prince.  


"Its only logical. If my power increases, shouldn't my speed increase as well? Oh, and so has my rage, Kiwi. My rage increases with each of your stupid assaults" Vegeta said, voice quiet and deadly. Kiwi backed away, and turned to run, only to fall on his face. He looked over his shoulder and fired up his _KI_, flying away. Vegeta shook his head and disappeared, only to reappear in Kiwi's face. The frightened alien gasped and was unable to get away, as Vegeta slammed his fist into Kiwi's belly. His armor shattered and Vegeta's fist actually sank into the creatures flesh, punching into his body. In what Raimi was sure was a favorite move, the Prince shot the poor creature off his arm with a _KI_ blast that sent him flying, and then used the same attack he'd used on his Saibaiman on earth to blow the unfortunate Kiwi into calamari. Kiwi's scream of horror was short and pathetic.   


Raimi felt slightly ill as she watched the unwholesome cloud that was all that was left of Frieza's captain drift away. Vegeta smiled evilly, and turned to look in the direction that his scouter had said Frieza was in.   
"Ah, but I always love fireworks. Well, I know they saw that. Damn, I need to use more self-control! Well, they definitely know I'm here... I can take out Zarbon and Dodoria with no problem, but if I approach too recklessly, I'd never be able to beat Frieza!" Vegeta mumbled to himself. Raimi smiled at this; she thought out loud a lot too, at least when she was alone.   


"Now, that dead Namek said they would have to gather all seven of these Dragonballs to make the wish... Ah, that's it! I just need to get one of the balls, and then Frieza can't make his wish! It shouldn't be too hard to take them later. Ok! Frieza, you may be stronger than I right now, but I am smarter! I'll defeat you yet, you bastard!" He smiled and took off to keep track of the fun; never even realizing Raimi had been there.   
~~~~~~~~~~  
"Well, that was gross. Now, where is Bulma?" Raimi said softly. She punched the scouter and finally zeroed in on her friends _KI_. It seemed to be close by, so she ran and began to jump again from point to point, loving the power and grace her Saiyan body possessed all over again. It didn't take long to get there, but Gohan and Kurilin had already left for the nearest Namek village.   


"Damn, I was hoping to go too. You have the Dragon Radar with you?" Raimi said. Bulma showed it to Raimi, who carefully memorized the location of the village, and the two balls as yet undisturbed. One was to the west, the other due north, and very far away. Bulma pelted Raimi with questions about the fight she'd seen, and who was this hugely powerful guy the boys were scared of, and when was Bulma going to get to go home?   


"Yeesh! The fight was really cool, Vegeta won, thank goodness... " Bulma gasped at that.   
"You're glad he won?"   


"Of course! If he hadn't, Frieza would be sure to get the Dragonballs! Vegeta is too strong for even Kurilin and Gohan together to stop, and I can't fight him, so we have to let him do his thing, at least for now. We need him alive, believe me. He won't hurt you, at least, but the rest of us... Well, anyway, Frieza is bad news. VERY bad news. The real reason we are here is to make sure Goku comes and destroys Frieza. And you go home when we all do. Now, I gotta go again. Be good, and don't let yourself get captured or anything, ok?" Bulma screamed in fear and grabbed Raimi in a death grip.   


"No, no, no! You can't go, don't leave me alone here! Raimi, please, I'm so BORED and alone, and I'm sure to be found out!" Bulma wept. Raimi rolled her eyes, and gently pushed her friend away.   
"Bulma, I have to go and find Frieza's men, and destroy those scouters! If I don't, Frieza will find those Dragonballs for sure! Besides, if I get them out of the way, there won't be any guys to find you! See, I'm trying to do the best thing for everyone. I'll be back soon, I swear!" Bulma nodded sadly, and ran into the cave.   


Raimi sighed and looked for any minor powers, locating a few about a kilometer away. That was far too close to Bulma for comfort! She ran lightly to meet these guys and see what was up...  



	4. IIII

The Soul and The Flesh~Frieza Saga Part IIII Dodoria was a huge pink skinned monster of a man, with bony horn-like protrusions coming from his head and arms. He was comically ugly, but also very strong. Now he was trying to figure out which way to go to find Frieza, before too much time passed. Frieza was impatient at best, and hated to be kept waiting. He couldn't sense Ki though, so had only a vague idea of where to go. As he flew, he cursed those earthling brats (Not realizing that Kurilin was an adult, despite his size) and wished he could blast them again for this inconvenience.   


Suddenly, he was hit with a blast of some kind, which tumbled him into the water below. He plummeted deep into the depths, and had to kick like crazy to make it to the surface. Spluttering, he reached the surface near the shore, and pulled himself out, looking for who had hit him. The shock on his face was comical when he saw who it was.   


"Vegeta! You traitor!" Dodoria was livid as the Prince smiled coldly at him.   
"Is that your way of saying you missed me?"   
"You were the one who ambushed me! Weren't you!?"   
"Its been so long. I thought you'd never stop clinging to Frieza. There was no sense in taking on more than I needed to at one time... " Vegeta said confidently.   


Dodoria puffed up angrily, but he wasn't as dumb as he seemed to be. He was a seasoned warrior, and absorbed small details very quickly. He saw that Vegeta was alone, and had a scouter. He needed to get that scouter from him for Frieza, so he decided to be merciful to the doomed Prince.   
"Pretty arrogant for JUST a Saiyan, aren't you? Now, hand me your scouter and leave, and I'll let this incident slide!" He sounded very condescending. Vegeta didn't like it one bit. He sneered and uncrossed his arms.   


"Soooo... you HAVE lost all your scouters after all. I thought that might be the case. I heard that Namek blast them... What a perfect opportunity for me to slip in, eh?" Dodoria grimaced in frustration at the speech; he'd never liked how long-winded the Saiyans were.   
"Now listen, Vegeta... "  
"I know it'll take you all days to get back to Frieza 79 and get more scouters. I can see why you want this one..."  


He reached out with his left hand. Dodoria tensed, preparing to battle for that scouter, when to his surprise, Vegeta pulled it off his ear and held it out. "Here, take it then. It's all yours." He let it fall from his fingers. Dodoria smiled triumphantly and strode forward to retrieve it.   
"Finally see what you are up against here, eh? Well, I may just spare you for this... " He stopped as Vegeta lifted his foot and placed it over the precious scouter, and proceeded to crush it to tiny shards under his heel. Dodoria yelled in surprised frustration; Vegeta had totally destroyed the scouter!   


"What the... what do you think you're doing?!" He shouted. "Why the hell did you destroy it!?" Vegeta laughed like he was insane.   
"Let me just say, I didn't need it anymore."   
"Are you telling me that you are hunting for those Dragonballs too? Without that scouter, you'll never find them, the Nameks or Master Frieza!"   


"Once I'd have agreed with you. But on a little dustball called earth, I discovered beings that could detect the location and power of a person's _KI_ without any mechanical assistance. One of these beings was a fellow Saiyan, and if he could do it, I can also, no?" Dodoria growled, nearly ready to blow.   


"It was easy, once I got the knack of it. It is impossible if you are only concerned with brute strength, like you and Frieza... Or myself in my younger days.   


"Then those two little brats I destroyed must have been from Earth! And you've joined forces with them, haven't you?" Dodoria asked, trying to figure all this out. It almost made sense...  


Unseen by the two men, Raimi dropped down a short distance away. She listened carefully, disgusted by her excitement at getting to see this confrontation. She found it fascinating to see Vegeta in action, as long as she wasn't the target for his wrath, that is! She could feel Vegeta charging up slowly, readying himself to defend when Dodoria finally attacked.   


"Earthlings... There is no way earthlings could get out here. And for your information, if there were any, I'd destroy them!" Dodoria laughed at the baffled Saiyan.   
"I can't believe this! There were two of them, they swooped down and saved a Namekian brat from me, then flew off. I got them though; you see, you can't sense Ki without a scouter, and you just destroyed the last one, you imbecile! Now get out of here before I get rid of you too!" He yelled. Vegeta shook his head, looking over-dramatically sad.   


"What are you so afraid of? Why don't you just come for me? Could it be because you monitored my fight with Kiwi, and you saw that I am much stronger than before? You did see my power level, didn't you Dodoria?" Dodoria was raising his arms over his head even as Vegeta spoke, and a yellow ball of energy flared to life in his hands.   


"That rating was a mistake! I gave you a chance to get away, arrogant brat, and you blew it!" He shot a hail of beams at the Prince, causing a massive explosion. He kept firing them, so enraged that he held back nothing, sure that Vegeta couldn't survive this assault. Finally he stopped, watching the dust clear slowly from the decimated spot. Panting, he smiled as he viewed the holes that were where Vegeta had been.   


"The scouter was broken? That poer reading was a mistake?!" Vegeta said from behind him. Dodoria looked over his shoulder and stared in disbelief. The pink giant swung his fist sideways and tried to punch the Saiyan, but Vegeta caught his hand and leapt gracefully into the air as Dodria tried to kick him, then dropped behind him and grabbed the other arm and pulling both limbs back hard. Dodoria gasped and gave a half scream of pain as his tendons were pulled to the limit. Vegeta smirked and pushed down and in, bringing the arms closer together behind the monsters back.   


"Let me explain some of the Saiyan secrets for you! See every time a Saiyan fights, he gets stronger; the stronger my opponent is, the stronger I become. There is no end to it, and no way to win because of it. Your scouter was right because I was nearly killed on Earth; get it now, Dodo-brain? That is why we Saiyans were called the Warriors of the Universe!" Dodoria's arms were literally groaning; Raimi could hear the tendons and bones creaking from where she was. Vegeta was now standing behind Dodoria, who was bent backwards, trying to ease the pressure on his arms.   


"That is why we Saiyans were called the Warriors of the Universe! And you, you slacked off, hiding behind Frieza! Look what has happened to your power, the power you were once justly proud of... I hope you will be reincarnated as a true warrior!"   


"Ahhh! Vegeta stop, please! If you let me go, I'll... " He gasped, the pain making him dizzy. Vegeta increased the pressure, and he began to babble helplessly. "I'll tell you a secret! One about Vegeta-sei!" The pressure stopped as the Prince hesitated, curious.   
"A secret... about Vegeta-sei? What secret would I not know?"   


"Let me go first." Dodoria said weakly. There was a pause, and with a humph of disgust, Vegeta released him. Dodoria stumbled away, rubbing his bloodless fingers gingerly.   
"I thought they were going to come off! That was a great move Vegeta, where did you learn it?" Vegeta glared and stepped forward menacingly. "Ok, ok, I'll tell you, but first, you have to promise not to kill me!"   
"I'll kill you now if you don't start talking, Dodo-head!"   


"Well, you see... " Dodoria explained about Frieza's realization that the Saiyans were getting stronger with every generation. Then he remembered a fable based in truth, the story of the legendary Super Saiyans. These extraordinary creatures were supposedly strong enough to even be able to destroy Frieza. While no such Saiyan had yet emerged, he decided to destroy the whole race, rather than risk it; but first he took the Crown Prince, Vegeta himself and his bodyguard into his protective custody. Such power was useful, after all, and he could bind the young Prince to him, encourage his loyalty from a young age. Then, he called all the Saiyans home, and destroyed Vegeta-sei and all the Saiyans at once. A rumor was spread that it was a comet crashing into the planet that destroyed it, but that was a lie.   


"It was Frieza who did it! And we both know that you aren't that strong, not even close! You were skilled and powerful, and this saved you, until now. Sorry if the shock is too great to bear. I think I'll take this chance to head back to Frieza now!" He had been rising slowly into the air as he told his sad tale, and now turned to leave.   


Vegeta's face was dark and brooding. He was furious at hearing this story. His home, his empire, destroyed because Frieza was scared of them! It wasn't even the Saiyans he was scared of, but a legend, fables told to children to inspire them, to make them want to be stronger and more ruthless. He himself had passionately wanted to be a Super Saiyan, and had never really given up on this dream. He might make it one day, with the right training, and enough fights under his belt. He looked up and scowled at Dodoria.   


"Don't you get me wrong, Dodoria. I don't care about the planet, my feloow Saiyans or my parents. No, I am just angry that I letmyself be used by you cowards! No, I can't kill Frieza yet. But I can kill you now, and I need some cheering up after your story! Blasting you to bits will make me feel so much better! What do you say?" Dodoria hunched up in fear and shook his head.   


"No! You promised!" He screamed, and turning, began to fly away, desperate. Vegeta smiled coldly, and thrust his hand out towards the hapless creature. A huge beam raced up toward him, and fatalistically, Dodoria turned to face his doom. It hit him, and like Nappa, he seemed to stretch out, eyes bulging as he disintegrated. His death cry rang in the air after he was gone.   


Raimi shivered as she looked at Vegeta's face. He was beyond angry. His eyes were colder than she'd ever seen them even on Earth. He trembled as he stood, looking at the cloud left from his beam, trying to get himself under control.   


"That fucking little bastard, I'll get him for that, for my Empire! I'll have his Empire in its place, I swear it!" His head cocked to the side, and he looked over his shoulder, back towards where Dodoria had appeared. "Wait, that's right! Earthlings, here on Namek. Maybe I should check this out." Raimi stiffened, remembering Kurilin and Gohan were out there with little Dende, without any protection but their wits. She stepped out to confront him, try to distract him, but he took off without seeing her, forcing her to follow him. She'd have to play this just right, or they all would be dead...  



	5. V

The Soul and The Flesh~Frieza Saga Part V "Man, I can't believe this! Where the heck is Bulma anyway?" Kurilin said. He was getting tired and hungry. He had almost no idea of where to find Bulma, or Raimi, and was worried that Frieza or Vegeta would find them soon.  
"I think it's this way, Kurilin... She was in a cave, right? We may need to look in a few... um, what is that?" Gohan said, his calm little voice rising to a squeal. Their new Namek friend Dende looked around nervously as Kurilin concentrated on feeling what Gohan had sensed. He gulped and grabbed Dende by the arm.  


"Oh no, it's Vegeta!!!" He yelled as he raced to the ground. They only found a tiny space to hide in, and nothing else seemed to look promising in this area.  
"This isn't the best hiding place, Kurilin!" Gohan said as he squashed himself against Dende in the tiny hole. They were still plainly visible from above, but they weren't in the line of sight from where Vegeta was coming from. It would have to do though.  


"I know, but we can't hold our breath long enough to hide under water! Just keep your Ki down, and he won't even know we are here, he needs to use his scouter, remember?" Dende shivered between them, and Kurilin patted his back soothingly. "Don't worry, it's not that monster again, ok?"  
"No, Vegeta is worse." Gohan said flatly, making Kurilin grimace.  


"Great, scare him some more, Gohan!" They fell silent, waiting. Both Gohan and Kurilin chanted "Please don't see us, please don't see us!" under their breath. Then Kurilin dared to peek out.  
Almost straight up, Vegeta hovered in the sky, his head turning back and forth slowly. He was looking for them all right, but he wasn't wearing his scouter!  


"Kami! He doesn't have his scouter, but he still seems to know we are here! Has he learned to sense Ki?!" He gasped. Gohan groaned as he heard this news.  
"Ok, I can tell they are down there, but not exactly where... And just who is it that is down there anyway? It's not Kakarrot... " Vegeta mumbled. He frowned, pushing his new power to its limits, trying to decipher the information he was picking up. Then he felt a small surge, straight below him. He peered down, almost directly at the hiding place.  


"Man, this is it! He found us!" Kurilin said. He squared his shoulders and turned to Gohan. "Ok, well, we can't hide here anymore. We have to face him. We may die, but we will die like warriors! Ready Gohan?" Gohan stared at him, and then nodded, his face grim. Kurilin turned to Dende.  
"Dende, you go and try to find our friend Bulma. She is in a cave close by, and she will help you to hide until Raimi finds you two. Tell them what happened to us, Ok?" Tears began to drip down Dende's face. He shook his head.  


"I won't go, I'll die with you!"  
"No, Raimi has to know what happened, she will be getting help soon from Goku, and they will be able to wish us back too... Now be ready to go, ok?" Kurilin was adamant, and the child gave in reluctantly, missing the reference to Dragonballs. The pair of warriors got ready to face the Saiyan above them.  
"Yes, it must be them!" Vegeta said, pleased with himself. He tilted down and got ready to fire...  


Suddenly, someone shot past him at incredible speed. Whoever it was banked to the left, and came back around to stop a short distance away. Kurilin looked up and gasped.  
"It's Raimi!" She hovered, smiling at the shocked Prince's face. He looked real funny with his jaw hanging like that!  
"Why, hello! Fancy meeting you here! What's up, Vegeta?" she said cheerfully.  


"Well, well. Dodoria was right. There are Earthlings here! And just who is with you?" He said, recovering from his shock. "What do you mean? I'm alone, silly. I knew Frieza was here, and that no one from Earth was strong enough to fight him, so I came alone to try to stop him... and you too, if I could." She said, voice full of laughter. She was hiding her nervousness well. No one could tell that she wanted to throw up, she was so scared. There was no Goku around to save her if he tried to kill her here, and nowhere to run to either.  


"Save it for another baka, I know there are at least two others, who are they? Is it that baldy, um, Kurilin? Yeah that's his name... and maybe another of your friends?" he said. She chuckled.  


"Tell you what. You catch me, and I might tell you!" she turned, and sent a glance down to Kurilin, who saw her wink at him. He wasn't fooled; she was taking a terrible risk for them. He shouted, hoping to get Vegeta's attention, but they had taken off at such speed that he was unable to even imagine catching up. He growled, knowing that he couldn't help her, and hating his own crippling fear of Vegeta. But, he had to think of the big picture; Bulma and Gohan weren't safe until Goku came. He hoped Raimi would be ok, and that she would forgive him for not helping her in this situation...  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
Raimi was pushing herself hard to stay ahead of Vegeta, but knew she'd never stay ahead of him forever. He was closing in already, so she went to the right, and was rewarded by his snarl of anger as he over shot her and had to turn back in her direction. She looked for a good place to land and saw a broad plateau. She let herself suddenly drop like a stone and turned to watch him as he came in for his own landing. He surprised her though, and tried to catch her instead, but she dropped onto her face in the dirt. He raced by, and she jumped to her feet once more. He did land this time and they stood, panting slightly from the effort of such a fast flight.  


"Not bad! You're fast, I'm impressed!" he said. Raimi dipped her head in acknowledgement of his compliment. "However, I did catch up, so it's time to talk."  
"Nope. I told you all I am going to tell you. So, go ahead and kill me if you want." She crossed her arms, and waited, her face hard. He eyed her for a moment and then laughed. She sighed as he slapped his thigh.  


"I guess I was wrong, you aren't all that smart after all!" He suddenly fell silent in that disquieting way he had. She eyed him warily, but still wasn't expecting it when he leapt forward and grabbed her by the neck. She pulled on his wrists as he squeezed her throat, cutting off her air. She gave up that strategy quickly, and unwound her tail instead. She kicked out with one foot, catching his ankle while stabbing her tail into his face. Vegeta toppled backwards, and yowled as the fur on her tail scratched his eyes. One of his hands let go of her throat, and Raimi slammed one fist into his ribs as she landed on top of him, her knees on either side of his waist. He grunted in pain and she punched him again, and whipped his eyes with her tail again. This time he tried to cover his eyes with his free hand, and she was able to get away while he was distracted. She stood over him and panted.  


"You were saying?" She panted, rubbing her neck. He glared at her with one eye. She stepped away from him and stood with her back to him, an obvious sign of scorn. "Typical male, thinking like a chauvinist pig! I was trained by the very best Sensei, I'll have you know!" She snapped. He stood and wiped his eyes.  


"Everyone thinks his Sensei is the best. Why was yours so special?" He said. He shook some grass out of his hair, acting cool and unconcerned by her presence while Raimi opened her mouth and then closed it, not wanting to explain her time travels for training on the Vegeta-sei of the past to him.  
"I guess you're right, but he did have good credentials, though you wouldn't know about them. Now, you wanna try to kill me again?" She said. She was wondering if the boys had gotten far enough away yet. Then she wondered if she was going to be able to get away herself.  


"I did try, you even gave me permission, but see what happened?" He said with what sounded suspiciously like a chuckle, and when she turned to look at him, she was startled to see that he was wearing a small smile.  
Vegeta was very impressed with her performance. She was quick and clever, she hadn't panicked when he'd attacked her; she'd even used her tail as a weapon, which he'd never have done. But then, he had a feeling that she wouldn't care too much if she couldn't turn into an Ozura; she probably never had done it before anyway. He had valued his tail too much to be willing to risk losing it in a fight. He walked over to her, still laughing. She stepped back warily, not trusting him to not try and hurt her again.  


"Now really, I know that you aren't alone. But, I don't care. The only "Earthling" I care about is Kakarrot, and I know he's not here. So, since I'm very busy, I'm going to leave to find my Dragonballs. Give my regards to Baldy!" He abruptly turned his back and took off, leaving Raimi in shock.  
"What the heck is with that? He just left!" Not wanting to look a gift horse in the mouth, she set out for the cave. Maybe the guys were there now, and she couldn't wait to tell them about this!  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ She found them quite quickly, and was enjoying a huge plate of Thai noodles from her capsule stock as they all told their tales. Bulma was horrified and jealous by turns. But they all were amazed by Raimi's story.  


"So, after Vegeta attacks you, he just flies away? Just like that? He sounds weird." Bulma said. Raimi smiled at that. Her neck had a fine set of bruises from Vegeta's fingers, but she acted like they didn't hurt her; in actually it hurt a lot, and made it kind of hard to swallow her noodles. Bulma shuddered at the thought of being strangled by the Saiyan; it certainly would have killed her if he'd done that!  
"Yeah, he's an odd one alright, he is full of surprises. I really expected to die out there, and instead... I don't know how to say it, but it felt more like he was testing me. I guess I passed!" Kurilin shook his head.  


"Wow, I can't believe that Vegeta would just let you go. I would have thought he'd still be mad at you for how you helped Goku on Earth." Gohan nodded.  
"Yeah, you're real lucky!"  


"Maybe. And maybe he'll get me next time. I'll just have to wait and see... " Raimi sighed and took the last bite of noodles. Dende was watching them warily, not touching his food. Gohan should have known that Nameks didn't eat food; after all he did live with Piccolo for a whole year. But, he and Kurilin tried to get him to eat, and then tried to pep him up. But the little Namek just stared at his food sadly.  


"I know it's not very good, but you really should eat!" Kurilin said.   
"I can't blame him for being upset. Most of the people of his villigae were killed weren't they?" Bulma said softly. Dende stared down at the food, and nodded.  
"We don't eat such food anyway. We live on water." The little Namek said. Kurilin grilled him about the Hydrangea trees all over Namek, the ones that they had been cultivating around the villages. Dende told them of the beauty Namek once jad, before a terrible storm tore the planets foliage away. The remaining Nameks were trying to help cover the planet with trees again.  


"Hey, we will be able to help your family soon, we just gotta wait for Goku to come, and then, Frieza watch out!" Kurilin said. Dende shook his head.  
"How can anyone defeat that evil being? Everyone is dead now... and he will find me too... " Dende said softly. Gohan reached over to take his small hand, but they all felt something wrong right then. Well Bulma didn't, but Raimi and Kurilin and Gohan did. Dende looked at them, eyes wide, as he felt something strange too. They all leapt up and went outside.  


To the west, just over the horizon, a strange blue glow was shining, and they could feel great turmoil as well.  
"Shimatta! It's Vegeta! Damn, I forgot about this! Ok, rest stop is over. Guys, I have to go and try to help whatever Nameks are left. Bulma, stay inside the cave ok? Don't sit outside, you have a capsule house to stay in, so do it!" Raimi ordered, and took off to the southwest before anyone could say anything, shocking her friends.  


"Man, she's quick! Do really think she knows what's going on?" Bulma said. Kurilin nodded.  
"Yes. She's brave too. I wouldn't want to rush off and face Frieza's men, and risk running into Vegeta again like that! But she took off, no problem! Now then, what are we going to do about the Dragonballs?"  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
Raimi stopped a short distance away, and pondered just what she was going to do. She peeked into her scouter, and saw some weak powers to the south. She headed off that way, braced for the unpleasant, self-appointed task of assassin.  


She found the men quickly, and realized that she really had to fight these guys. They didn't actually last long, but they got in a few punches that shook her up a little. She felt better about seeking them so she could kill them because of it, and finally finished them off. Then she flew up in the air, intending to look for new targets, when she felt a huge Ki coming her way. She quickly hid the scouter and took off in another direction. Unfortunately, whoever it was had good eyesight, and came after her. Cursing, she stopped and waited. To her dismay, she recognized the man as he came closer.  


He was very pretty though not truly feminine, with light blue skin and long, fine, dark green hair pulled back into a braid. He was very muscular, and wore leggings and long arm covers, trunks and the typical Cold armor, with the addition of a full cape. His almond shaped amber eyes widened as he saw her. He pulled up short and looked her over, his earrings swinging in the breeze. Raimi didn't move or speak, but waited, her heart thudding in her chest.  


She'd rather face three Vegeta's than one Zarbon. He was too strong for her, her last little fight with Vegeta aside. She hadn't felt that power up reaction anyway while she and Vegeta had fought, and so wasn't sure if she'd gotten that much stronger. He crossed his arms and smiled. Raimi decided to play dumb; it was all she had, and maybe she could learn something from him.  


"And just who do we have here? What is a pretty little girl like you doing here on Namek?" Raimi looked puzzled, and asked him who he was in Saiyago. He recognized the language from hearing Saiyans speak it, but couldn't speak it himself. He shook his head and asked her who she was again in Standard, and again, she acted like she didn't understand. He growled in frustration.  


"Look, girl, I know you can speak Standard, even these damned Nameks can, so forget it! Now who are you and why are you here?!" She winced and babbled at him about how she didn't like his tone of voice, and just who was he to talk like that? He didn't understand her exact words, but he understood her meaning, and just got angrier. Raimi began to back away from him; her instinct told her that he was bad news, and she should get as far away as she could.  


Zarbon however decided he'd had enough, and blurred out. Raimi could barely even feel his Ki as he moved around her quickly, reappearing behind her and kicking her in the back. She yelped in pain and was shoved forward by the blow. She reached back, and glared at him, calling him every name in the Saiyan language (And since Saiyans loved to curse, there were many names to choose from.) He didn't even reply, but punched her in the belly. Raimi's ribs weren't fully healed yet, and she screamed in pain, which seemed to encourage him to punch her again.  


She felt two ribs crack this time, and hit back, but only landed a glancing blow on his shoulder. He laughed at her, and grabbing one arm, tossed her to the ground hard. Raimi's body made a nice crater when she landed, and she was stunned, hardly able to breathe because of her ribs, many of which were cracked now, if not broken. She slowly stood, and panted as she looked up at him; her neck hurt terribly too. She couldn't believe how strong he was. He shouldn't be that much stronger than herself, but he sure seemed to have her at a disadvantage.  


She was also surprised by the strength of the hatred she felt for him. She'd always felt a little sorry for Zarbon when she'd read the Manga all those years ago, but now, she wished she had the power to kill him slowly, painfully, and worst of all, in a very gruesome fashion. It was her Saiyan part coming out again, but she didn't want to allow it to dominate her. She held her side and stepped out of the crater, glaring at him. His laugh made her grind her teeth together.  


"Now, see what happens to bad little girls who ignore their superiors?" He blurred out again, and Raimi leapt upwards, trying to escape the attack she sensed coming, but he caught her anyway. Zarbon held her left arm, and leaned close into her face.  


"I don't see why you are speaking that dead language! You aren't even really a Saiyan, not with that hair!" He grabbed her tail, which he thought was a belt, and squeezed it viciously as he yanked it away from her waist. Raimi's scream of pain stunned him, and he pulled it away from her waist where she'd had it wrapped safely out of the way, like Nappa and Vegeta had done. He stared at her, rubbing his fingers through the silky fur while Raimi tried to clear her pain fogged mind. Zarbon had never seen a Saiyan with red hair and a red tail...  


Raimi's Sensei Kakarrot had worked on her tail, with the enthusiastic assistance of the Brat, trying to help her get over the weakness and pain handling it roughly could cause; Zarbon was just too strong though, and his grip too tight. It hurt worse than anything she'd ever felt in either of her two lives, and seemed to sap her strength. She remembered that Goku had suffered weakness as well as a child when his tail was grabbed, but she was Elite status, not third class. Elites were supposed to have tougher tails...  


"I can't believe it, you are a Saiyan! A female Saiyan at that! Wait, do you know where Vegeta is?" he snapped, surprise warring with eagerness to find the Prince on his face. She gasped and shook her head.  


"Saiya...Saiyajin no Oji Begita-sama? Iie... " She panted, and then screamed again when he squeezed her tail once more. Raimi kicked out with one foot, catching him hard in the thigh. He grunted and let her go; she drifted down towards the water, and then gathered up some power, sending a nice Chi blast at him. He only batted it away, but Raimi had recovered from the weakness he'd caused her now.  


She waited and when he came at her swung around with one foot in a roundhouse type kick that caught him in the ribs. Raimi was pleased to see that it seemed to hurt him too. She backed off and then came at him, slamming his head with clubbed fists. Zarbon growled in fury, righting himself quickly and sending a small sokidan at her. Raimi batted it aside, but he'd moved around behind her again, and punched her side, making her ribs flash into white-hot pain.  


Raimi hunched over, her breath coming in shallow gasps as she held her throbbing sides. She felt Zarbon grab her left arm and turn her violently to face him. She forced her eyes open, only to nearly black out when he slammed his free hand into her other side. They both heard the bones crack under his hand. Raimi felt her throat fill and spat out a mouthful of blood, which Zarbon avoided deftly.  


Zarbon smirked at her as she struggled to breath, hanging in his grip helplessly. He took her other arm and shook her, making her breath leave her again; she passed out for a few seconds as a result. Zarbon didn't want that; he released her arm and backhanded her again, waking her from her stupor.  
"Listen bitch, I'm not going to ask again! _ Where is Vegeta_?!"  



	6. VI

The Soul and The Flesh~Frieza Saga Part VI Vegeta was flying about looking for the last Dragonball, when he sensed two small Kis. He decided to go play with them, but just as he pulled up to where they were, he felt a Ki that could only be Zarbon, and he wasn't alone. He veered off, leaving Kurilin and Dende, his original targets, in peace. However, as he drew near to Zarbon's location, he heard a rather piercing scream of pain. He paused, and realized that it sounded like Raimi, of all people. He flew quickly to the place and was stunned by what he saw.  


Zarbon had Raimi held in one hand, and she looked very bad. He'd been beating on her for a while, it seemed. He was surprised at the anger that swept over him at the way Zarbon had done this to her. He shot over to them and hung before Zarbon, arms crossed casually. Raimi's head hung forward on her chest, and she didn't even seem to be aware that Vegeta was there, as Zarbon held her by one arm.  


"Aha! Just the monkey I wanted to see! This little girl wouldn't tell me where you were; in fact she doesn't even seem to speak Standard, just that stupid Saiyan language. Too bad she's going to die, being the last female Saiyan and all... " Zarbon said, squeezing her arm so hard that it snapped. Raimi whimpered and opened her eyes, too groggy from recent pain to really feel this new one. She saw Vegeta and gasped in surprise.  


"_Vegeta... be careful, he's... he's not... what he seems, he can transform_!" She panted softly, speaking in Saiyago. He scowled at this, and asked her what she meant, also speaking Saiyago, but Zarbon tightened his grip on her tail again. Now Raimi bit her lip, trying to not scream in front of Vegeta like a wimp, but she still made a shrill noise in her throat as her head arched back. He stiffened in anger at this abuse to a Saiyans tail. Tails were sacred to all Saiyans, and anyone who touched a Saiyans tail would be killed, no questions asked.  


"Well, look at this, what a he-man, picking on girls and being a tail-grabber! Why don't you give me a try, Zarbon! Of course I don't have my tail right now, but that shouldn't be a problem for you, should it?" He snapped. Zarbon dropped Raimi into the water below and laughed. Vegeta made no move to help her as she fell; he didn't want to take his eyes off Zarbon, and besides, she was tough, she'd be fine. And if she wasn't, that was just too bad... He was too eager to destroy Zarbon to worry about a rogue Saiyan.  
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~  
Raimi hit the water with a huge splash, and barely had the strength to get to the surface. She couldn't use her left arm, and her ribs weren't helping much either. Somehow, she made it to the surface and gasped shallow breaths of air, unable to breathe properly. She had to use all her willpower to levitate to the shore, and dropped to her knees once there. Slowly she began to remember that Vegeta and Zarbon were fighting, and she painfully climbed to her feet and looked up.  


They hung in the sky, talking about something that had them both getting angry. She caught fragments over the breeze; "Frieza is a changeling, fool... " And "You just can't beat me, Zarbon... " She grimaced as she realized that she was not safe where she was, and couldn't get far enough away in the state she was in. In fact, she was in serious trouble; Goku wasn't due here for five days, and she had a good idea that she wouldn't last too long without medical attention, the kind that her friends just weren't equipped to give her here. She winced as she tried to stand, and then flew instead to a tall outcropping of rock.  


She looked up again, and could see Vegeta blur out and reappear in Zarbon's face. Zarbon punched at Vegeta's face, but Vegeta caught the fist in his hand and tossed the much bigger man like a child. Zarbon spun higher into the air and righted himself quickly, only to find Vegeta had blurred out and was right in front of him. Zarbon in turn disappeared and reappeared a short distance away. He powered up very quickly, and holding out his right arm while using his left for support, shot a massive Bakurikimaha bolt at Vegeta. The Prince frowned and then smirked as he leaned forward and "caught" the bolt in his left hand, and then tossed it away like a toy. Of course toys don't explode with the force of ten H-bombs, like this did. Neither man moved to cover his face from the flying debris, but Zarbon did realize that he'd underestimated Vegeta if the Saiyan could bat his Bakurikimaha away so easily.  


"You have… improved, Vegeta, that is true!" He said reluctantly. Vegeta laughed and launched himself at the stunned Zarbon. His elbow connected with Zarbon's jaw, stunning him for a few seconds; Zarbon snapped out of his shock and swung back, but missed. He began to kick at Vegeta's face, but the Prince laughed as he moved his head aside from each kick, even though they were coming so fast that the naked eye couldn't see them.  
"Could this really be the fearful Zarbon? You look like you are standing still to me!" He sneered. Zarbon paused and growled angrily.  
"Why you!" Zarbon hissed and then blinked as the Saiyan disappeared again. This time he re-appeared just above the larger man, and spun around, kicking straight down onto the back of Zarbon's neck. He fell, and landed on all fours, standing quickly so he could try to keep an eye on Vegeta, but he was gone again.  


Raimi wasn't pleased by how good Vegeta appeared to be doing; she knew Zarbon's secret. It was too late now, and she wasn't in any shape to help Vegeta either. She watched as he showed up right behind Zarbon. Zarbon must have heard the subtle sound of the air displacement, because he had begun to turn when Vegeta planted a kick square into his back. The blue man was sent hurtling forward on his face, his armor gouging a trail in the ground for several meters. He laid they for a few seconds, and slowly pushed himself up on his hands and knees. Vegeta tossed his head back and laughed.  


"And I haven't even broken a sweat!" He called, as Zarbon hissed angrily to himself. The Prince looked around, saw Raimi on her perch, and smiled. "See Kirei, not to worry, I'm the one in control here!" He called in Saiyago. She shook her head, and started to call to him, but Zarbon stood and began to laugh.  
"You have hit me hard, Vegeta, that is true. And that has awakened the Power I keep hidden inside me. I don't know how she can know what she seems to be trying to tell you, but, its time for the unveiling… " Vegeta raised one eyebrow at this, but still smiled.  
"Unveiling? What powers?" More laughter. "You do keep me entertained, Zarbon!"  
"Yes, you see, up until now, you've only seen the beauty of my form… " Vegeta broke in with a laugh.  


"Beauty, huh? I say you need a make over!" He chuckled to himself at his clever repartee and Raimi couldn't help but smile at him, even though he was in deep shit. She shrugged and then hissed in pain as her broken bones screamed at her. Vegeta saw it and frowned, reminded that Zarbon was a tail-grabber, and that he needed to kill him so he could find the last uncollected Dragonball. He squared his shoulders as Zarbon spoke again.  
"Before you die, I will tell you Why I keep my power hidden. You see, to give full scope to these powers, I must transform, but the form I must take is hideously ugly. And since I am so fond of Beauty, as you know, I am quite reluctant to take this form unless ordered to do so by Frieza… or circumstance."  


"You can transform? Like we Saiyans? People will say anything in their desperation!" Vegeta said amusedly.  
"I don't become a huge monkey like you do under the moon, but my strength increases overwhelmingly!" Zarbon crowed.  
"I look forward to this." Vegeta said smirking.  
"If you had any intelligence, Vegeta, you would be shaking in fear!" Zarbon's voice was scornful.  


Raimi held her breath and prayed to the dead Kami-sama that Zarbon didn't turn on her again. She watched as he sucked in a deep breath and tensed, his limbs swelling. He stomped first one foot and then another, as his legs gained twice their original mass, and then flung his arms out as they did the same. His chest expanded, making the armor creak in protest, and last his face pushed out, forcing his pretty face into a far more ugly reptilian arrangement. He let out his breath and then sighed with a hideous smile. Vegeta stepped backwards in shock, as he felt Zarbon's Ki spike during the transformation. He understood suddenly that Raimi had been trying to warn him of this and that he should have just killed Zarbon while he was in his weaker state. Now it would be very hard to destroy him… His thoughts were interrupted by a reptilian laugh.  


"You saw the Beauty before, so now I introduce you to the Beast!" Zarbon roared. He seemed to materialize right in front of Vegeta, and he buried his knee into the Saiyans belly, before slapping him sideways. Vegeta slammed into the ground and skidded a short distance; before he could even roll to his feet, Zarbon kicked him in the ribs so hard that he flew up into the air. As he shot upwards, Zarbon grabbed Vegeta's ankle, and swung him back down, slamming him into the ground so hard that Raimi felt it through her feet. She winced in sympathy, but was just too hurt to help him.  


Vegeta groaned as his head slammed into the ground, his eyes cracked open to see Zarbon bend over him and grab his head by the ears. He yelped as the monster pulled him up slightly and then head-butted him hard. Since Zarbon wore a circlet with a little bangle on it on his forehead, this was even more painful than it needed to be, and his head spun afterward.  


Raimi hissed, her right fist clenched in fury at her own helplessness. She didn't even realize that she wanted to help the person who had hurt her friends and herself so badly only one month ago, didn't even think about how he'd tried to kill her only an hour ago; she just wanted to stop Zarbon from hurting him anymore. But her instinct told her that she couldn't possibly face him with a broken arm and shattered ribs. Her thoughts raced, as she tried to think of some way to help the Prince.  


Vegeta had recovered enough to try to fight back, but it wasn't going well. He was able to muster up some Ki attacks, and even was able to engage in some in fighting, but he was beaten back each time, with what appeared to be effortless ease on Zarbon's part. He growled in fury as he paused a moment, and shook his head as his eyes blurred.  


"What is this?!" He snapped and powered up again, jumping back into it. Zarbon repelled each punch and then slammed the palm of his hand into Vegeta's chest, sending ground ward. Raimi hobbled aside as she saw him headed for the spot where she stood. He hit and shot completely through the cliff at a right angle, so he that came out near the bottom, and slid on his back to another rock, slid up it and ended up on his knees, panting painfully. He looked up slowly, one eye swelling closed. He was helpless, and he knew it, but his pride refused to let him give up.  


Raimi looked down at him, her fear and frustration showing on her face. She saw Vegeta's eyes flick behind her, and tried to spin around to face Zarbon as he loomed over her. He grinned, his fangs gleaming in his huge mouth.  
"Ah, I almost forgot about you!" He sneered, and raised one hand to finish her off. Raimi didn't flinch, though she raised one hand to try to block the deathblow if at all possible. To her shock, Vegeta yelled below them.  


"She knows where my Dragonball is!" He said quickly and then seemed shocked at what he'd said. He realized that he'd just lied to save her, and wondered at it. He shook his head and sneered at himself; he was getting soft! Although, she was also a Saiyan and far more deserving to live than Nappa had been. "Is he telling the truth?" Zarbon said. Raimi looked at Vegeta in shock and wondered at his actions. She saw him nod, and she nodded too. Zarbon roared and slapped her so hard that her overwrought body gave up, and she fell unconscious at Vegeta's feet far below. He almost checked to see if she was alive, but had no time; he had to raise his hands to try to block Zarbon's latest attack.  
~~~~~~~~~ Raimi woke slightly and saw Zarbon, pretty once more, over her. She raised herself on her good arm and looked around for Vegeta, but he was nowhere to be seen. She hung her head sadly, though she knew he was still alive. Zarbon picked her up by her waist, making her cry out in pain. He gingerly slung her around until he held her in his arms and grimaced.  


"I hate Saiyans, all Saiyans. I'm glad Vegeta's dead, and after you tell Frieza where those last Dragonballs are, you will be too." He said softly into her ear, as if he was whispering an endearment, not a threat. She felt cold terror at the mention of Frieza, and shivered as he laughed and took off.  
"See, even if you can't understand Standard, everyone fears the name of Frieza!" Raimi gratefully slid back into the welcoming darkness…  
~~~~~~~~~  
Raimi hit the ground hard, making her whimper as her ribs hurt. She woke quickly from her exhausted state from the pain and sudden irrational fear that came when Zarbon said "Master"  
"Master, look what I found for you!" Zarbon said. She felt footfalls coming closer, and then freezing cold fingers slid under her chin, lifting her face. "A rare beauty indeed. Yes, very rare, the last in all the universe, I'd say… " Raimi opened her eyes, wanting to see the face that housed such an enigmatic voice. She gasped at her first sight of Frieza.  


Frieza was far more alien looking than Kiwi or any of his men were. His eyes were huge in his face with tiny strange reddish amber irises. His skin was an unhealthy white, with strange pink stripes running down his face and meeting under his chin. He wore what looked like a helmet with a purple shell on it and had short straight black horns jutting out from either side of his head. His shapely black lips curved into a smile.  


"So, what is a female Saiyan doing on Namek? Maybe you're the reason Vegeta went to Chikyu-sei without permission, hmmm?" He said. She just stared at him, and noticed that his cold touch was getting unbearably colder. No wonder his kind were named for all things cold! The thought of his evil father made her gasp in fear, and he smiled wider, thinking that it was he that she feared. She tugged her head away from him and tried to stand on her own. Frieza stood back and watched her struggle.  


"And what of my errant pet?" He asked. Zarbon watched Raimi pant and try again to rise.  
"Let's just say, we don't need to worry about him anymore." Frieza humphed and nodded to Zarbon, who bent to pick up Raimi. She flinched away from him, but he bore her up easily. She and Frieza were nearly the same height; in fact, she was just a hint taller than he was. She gasped, holding her ribs and trying to move her arm.  


"So, is he truly dead, little Saiyan?" He purred, looking her over. She shook her head, and saw Zarbon open his mouth to explain her inability to talk Standard, when she smiled.  
"No, he can hold his breath for a long time. He's drying out somewhere I'm sure." Zarbon turned three shades of darker blue as she spoke, and then grabbed her by her broken arm. She shrieked and then held her free hand over her mouth to stop any further sound, eyes squeezed shut as tears of pain trickled down her cheeks.  


"Zarbon! Let go of her! What's wrong anyway?" Frieza said, concerned that she'd pass out and not be able to talk without healing. Zarbon growled about her acting like she couldn't understand him, and Frieza laughed briefly. Raimi's breath hissed through her teeth as Zarbon released her, and she sank to one knee, unable to stand by herself anymore. Frieza smiled at her, making her shiver.  


"So, you tricked Zarbon, did you? Very clever, and tough too. That's only what I expect from a true Saiyan, despite that hair of yours. You even have a tail… " He reached out and stroked it, his cold touch making her ill. She swallowed heavily.  
"I won't tell you where it is. You will just have to kill me, Frieza." He smirked and turned to Zarbon. His face went hard.  
"Zarbon, you have better go and pick up Vegeta."  
"She's lying, he's dead… "  


"Well, you had better hope not! I want him back here alive, you understand me? I want both of these monkeys alive, and if either one of them dies, you will suffer. You should have searched for him and brought him too, but you didn't want to get wet did you? Did you?" Zarbon looked at his feet, acutely humiliated to be scolded in front of Raimi like this. Raimi didn't even smile at his embarrassment; she was too worried about herself. How would she get out of this? She was resigning herself to being wished back soon; she figured that was the only way she was going to see another day.  


"Now then, are you sure you don't want to talk?" Frieza said, motioning to Zarbon to lift her once more. Raimi bit her lip and shook her head. To her horror, Frieza bent and kissed her forehead. Zarbon's fingers trembled as he held her up; this must be a bad thing, like the kiss of death or something. "Oh, but I think you will… And if you don't I'll kill Vegeta before your eyes… " Raimi broke into laughter at this.  


"So what? I don't care about him! He's an animal, I don't even like him. He tried to kill me once here already. Go ahead and kill him. It doesn't matter to me." She said. Frieza's eyes widened and then narrowed.  
"Oh, really? Hmmm, we'll see. Or maybe I'll kill you in front of him… He won't like to see that, I guarantee it. He might even try to save you… Or… or I can send Zarbon out to find those two tiny earthlings… " At the mention of Gohan and Kurilin, Raimi snapped. Her eyes blazed and without thinking, she spat in his face.  


"I guess you are still too much of a child, Prince Frieza, if you're willing to kill those who cannot possible defend against you! Even your father has more dignity than that!" Frieza's eyes went solid red for a second, as he raised one finger and pointed it at her. She glared at him defiantly, even though she knew what he was going to do to her.  
"Go ahead! I told you I don't care!" She snapped. He growled, and backhanded her instead. Raimi's head jerked to the side, and she hit the floor, head spinning. She tried to stay awake, but everything turned gray, the voices of the monsters above her fading away…  
~~~~~~~~~  
"Master, please let me kill her for this!" Zarbon pleaded, but Frieza didn't answer right away. He was furious indeed, but knew that he was at a disadvantage here. He wanted the last two Dragonballs, but only Vegeta and this girl seemed to know where they were. He wasn't really sure he could make them talk before they died under the torture he had planned, but having two mouths was better than one. He wiped his face, and looked at her pensively. He had no choice; he had to have her put into the Iso-chamber, and also had to retrieve Vegeta. He grimaced.  


"Zarbon, I have had a premonition… " The Cold tyrant said.  
"A premonition, sire?"  


"I've been thinking it over, and I feel that a powerful Saiyan is developing. This Saiyan might eventually become a genuine threat. King Vegeta was especially bad. And, I've been told that a Saiyan will be my doom. I had thought that it was Vegeta who might be this prophesized creature, but its seems less likely now… Go and get him Zarbon, quickly, and pray that he is alive, for your own sake." Zarbon frowned and gulped at the threat, but waited a moment.  


"I can't believe you are worried about Saiyans, sir… "  
"I told you, I don't care about Vegeta, it's these Chikyu Saiyans. There is something about that fight that bothers me. How could they beat Vegeta, kill Nappa? No, they are something to be careful about. And are you implying that I am frightened of something Zarbon? No? Good… so go, NOW!"  



	7. VII

The Soul and The Flesh~Freiza Saga Part VII Not too long after Zarbon had left the lake created by his body, Vegeta had made the surface, gasping desperately for air. He'd crawled up onto the shore, moving a little at a time. He cursed Zarbon with every breath, and sought Raimi's Ki in vain. He wondered if she was dead, or if she'd gotten away. He could have used some help; he was in a bad way. After an hour of creeping slowly, he'd only gotten about six meters from the new lake's shore, and couldn't move another inch. He felt his energy give out, and his head fell to the dirt.  


That was how Zarbon found him, stretched out and exhausted, still damp but alive. Zarbon took a deep breath of relief. Now he might be able to regain Frieza's good graces. He felt the Saiyans pulse, but had no idea if it was good or not. He shrugged and hauled the Prince up by one arm. Vegeta didn't even stir as he was borne off to Frieza's ship.  
~~~~~~~~~  
Once there, he was taken to the Iso-chamber right away, and set up right next to Raimi, who seemed to be stabilized. Apuru, one of Frieza's most trusted servants and chief medical officer on the Flagship, watched the pair, speculating. He wasn't too sure about how fast they would heal; Zarbon had worked them over pretty bad. The girl was healing faster, due to being in the tank longer, but she was still very badly hurt and weak. He almost felt sorry for them, death would have been better than what Frieza would do to them… he turned as Zarbon chuckled beside him.  


"Let's get them well, shall we? Then we'll let Frieza have a few words with them." He felt a lot better about things now, and Frieza was happy as well. He smirked at the Saiyans, and relished the idea that maybe Frieza would let him make a wish too, since he'd been so useful with the hunt for Vegeta. He left the medical bay, sighing contentedly. Yes, this was the start of a new era…  
~~~~~~~~~  
After fourteen hours in the tank, Vegeta was fully healed, but he was playing dead, so to speak. He held his Ki down to barely alive, and waited patiently for the right moment to break out of his tank. He sensed that Raimi was almost ready too, and that she was also hiding her condition from Apuru's worried eyes.  


Apuru was sweating, wondering if he'd done something wrong, because both Saiyans seemed to be failing, not getting better. This had happened before when the subject was just to hurt to get better, but they hadn't seemed to be that bad off. Now he fiddled with the dials on his machine, and sighed. He jumped as Zarbon entered the room.  
"How are they?" He said, smiling. The smile faded when he saw Apuru's face. He looked at the dials and readouts and went pale baby blue in shock.  


"This isn't good, Zarbon. They just aren't getting better. The female's ribs were crushed, and Vegeta has compressed discs in his back. Both had severe internal injuries. They might have been hurt too bad to recover… " Apuru started, but broke off when Zarbon turned to him, eyes wide.  
"Well, they have to get better! You got that? Do whatever it takes, but Vegeta at least must survive! Both are too important to let them die, Apuru, you understand? Frieza will… " He stopped and stared angrily at Vegeta.  


"Frieza will kill me if you die, you stupid monkey, so get well! And you," He turned to Raimi, whose name he'd never even learned, "He wants to kill you himself; wake up so you can die!" He grimaced as he saw his hopes for promotion getting very slim. Hell, Frieza was getting so impatient, he might be dead before they showed any improvement. He left and went to his own chambers, but knew he'd not find any rest there.  


About one hour later, Apuru was staring at Raimi disgust. He sniffed and turned to Vegeta.  
"Man, look at this. I can't believe these readings. You would never see ME in such bad shape. I guess the High and Mighty Prince Vegeta isn't such a tough guy after all; are you, you little wimp?" He laughed. Suddenly, he saw movement, and the monitors on the Iso went off the scale. Apuru's eyes widened as he watched Vegeta open his eyes and glare at him. He stumbled back as a horrible white light erupted from the Prince's tank…  
~~~~~~~~~  
"Well, Zarbon? How are they doing?" Frieza asked. Zarbon smiled confidently, while shaking inside.  
"I'm told they will be well soon, sir." Let it seem that Apuru was wrong; he wasn't going to die for this mistake.  


"Ah, good. You had better pray that it is so, Zarbon. I want those Dragonballs soon. Hmmm, and I still need to get the Ginyu here, I want those Earth Saiyans caught. The female's reaction was too strong, they are still out there, somewhere, and I don't like it… " Zarbon had the intelligence to be quiet this time. However, just then, they felt something shake the ship. As they stumbled to the side, they turned to the door. Zarbon realized that it had to have come from the medical bay, and set out to find out what it was…  
~~~~~~~~~  
"Hmm, you look like you're the one in bad shape now, Apuru… " Vegeta said smugly as he stood with one foot on the creatures throat. He turned and hit the outer wall of the room with a Ki bolt, and then punched the tank that held Raimi so hard that it shattered completely. He yanked the mask off her face, and pulled her around the corner to wait for Frieza. He held one hand over her mouth as her eyes fluttered open. She gasped and looked around as he stood her on her own feet.  


"Frieza?" She whispered. He nodded to the doorway, and she smiled wickedly. She knew what was going on, and slid deeper into the shadows, waiting with him. Sure enough, Zarbon and Frieza raced into the room, and instantly assumed that they'd escaped out the hole in the hull of the ship. Frieza screamed at Zarbon to find them; while they were so distracted, both Saiyans fled the room, and raced to Frieza's personal chambers. Raimi ran into Vegeta's back when he stopped abruptly and opened a door. She peered around his shoulder as he stood with his arms spread across the doorway, and stared at the five huge Dragonballs lying on the floor. Vegeta laughed wickedly as his eyes caressed them. They stepped into the room, while Vegeta grinned like a maniac.  


"Ah, Frieza, you are the fool! Now, how to get them out of here?" He turned and looked at Raimi. She smiled uneasily, but didn't speak. Vegeta frowned for a moment, and them smiled back. He held out his arm, and a soft blue light enveloped it. He concentrated on it, and pointed at her, then at the huge round window high on the wall. Raimi powered up too, her Ki its regular blue-violet color, and turned to the window. She knew it wasn't glass, but a clear metal alloy, which meant she needed to be very forceful with this Ki blast. She looked over her shoulder and nodded.  


"Ready!" She said softly. Vegeta went to the doorway, and cleared his throat.  
"Hey! You guys looking for something?" He called and then waited for a count of ten. He then released his built up Ki. It soared down the hallway, bounced off a curved wall, and barreled into a control room, where it exploded massively. Raimi let her Ki fly too; it slammed into the window, and punched a huge hole through it. Before she could turn around, Vegeta was hurling the Dragonballs out the hole, aiming carefully across the lake. Raimi waited and was surprised that he grabbed her wrist when he flew out the window.  


He dragged her to a small rock, which barely hid them from the ship. She stared at him, eyes wide, and he held a finger to his lips. They listened and heard Zarbon yelling with frustration, then Frieza giving him an ultimatum; find Vegeta in two hours, or die. Raimi smirked at this, and raised an eyebrow at Vegeta. He smirked too, and then pointed down. She took a deep breath, and then slid into the water.  


It was warm and very clear as she followed Vegeta while he swam across the lake. She took a moment to realize that she felt great; her ribs didn't hurt, nor did her arm. She was very glad to be well but now she had to deal with Vegeta… How would she get away and find her friends? She decided not to worry about it, and just play it by ear. She was more surprised by Vegeta helping her to escape than worried anyway.  


Finally they reached the shore, and both broke the surface gasping. Raimi hauled herself ashore, and wrung out her hair though she'd have to rebraid it anyway and looked around. Vegeta took some deep breaths, and then pointed to the Dragonballs, which were scattered across the ground nearby.  


"Look, they are all right here. Not a bad bit of aiming!" Raimi laughed and stooped to pick one up. She was startled to find Vegeta grabbing her from behind in a chokehold. She didn't fight him, but waited, wondering what was wrong now. After helping her to escape, was he now going to kill her himself?  


"Wait just a minute here. What are you doing?" He said warily.  
"I was helping you move these things to shelter." She said evenly. He bent and sniffed her neck in a way that made her shiver. It wasn't unpleasant, but it wasn't comfortable either. He moved his head up to her ear.  
"Say that again!" She turned her head slightly, puzzled, and he growled softly.  
"I said, I was trying to help you move them out of sight… " He waited a moment, and then let her go. She rubbed her arms, feeling weird. He smirked at her.  


"Ok, I believe you. You did say you were here to stop me, remember? Now, no funny stuff, or else, got it?" She wrinkled her nose at him, and grabbed one Dragonball under her arm. Vegeta was stunned by that cute expression, and had to shake his head to clear it.  


"Damn woman, I don't know why I saved her!" He grumbled to himself and he took up two more of the huge Dragonballs then followed Raimi as she sought a nice little cave to hide them in. All she could find here was a depression, with almost no cover really. It was all they had, so in the Dragonballs went. Raimi stood outside the space and scratched her thigh absently. She could still smell the Iso-chamber's fluid on her clothes, and in her hair, and the darn stuff itched terribly. She turned to look at Vegeta.  


His helping her to escape puzzled her. Why did he do it? He could have left her there and Frieza would have killed her. Then she'd not be in his way while he searched for the last of the Dragonballs. Did he expect her to help him now that she owed him her life not once but twice?"  


"Um, thanks for saving me and all, but I'd really like to go now… Is that alright with you?" She didn't really know how to handle this situation, but she was still feeling strange because of his apparent kindness. To her surprise, he waved at her to go.  
"Yeah, whatever. I can't trust you alone with them anyway. So go on, I'm sure I can find you if I wish to," Raimi smiled and bowed slightly.  


"I thank you for my very life, Oji-sama! I'm sure we will see each other again, VERY soon!" She rose into the air, and felt for Frieza's power. Once she'd located it, she had a better idea of where her friends were in relation to it, and took off that way at an extreme speed.  


Vegeta raised an eyebrow at her, surprised that she didn't try to hide her trail. But, she knew how to take care of herself, and she was lucky too. He turned to look at his Dragonballs, and smiled, pleased as he remembered that he only needed one more to make his wish.  


He was a little baffled at himself though, for bringing her with him when he escaped. He knew she'd probably not help him with the Dragonballs, and she might be trouble later on. Still, something in him couldn't allow another Saiyan to die at Frieza's hands. And she was the last female of the species as well; she might be useful later on at that…  



	8. VIII

The Soul and The Flesh~Frieza Saga Part VIII Raimi raced to the cave, and landed in front of Bulma. Her friend jumped, startled, but Raimi didn't have time to apologize. She stalked into the capsule house, pulling her ruined clothes off as she went.  
"Raimi! Raimi, what happened? You were attacked weren't you? Man, your clothes! What's going on?" Bulma gasped as she followed Raimi into the bathroom. Ignoring her, Raimi stripped completely and jumped into the shower.  


"Yeah, I got attacked, and I'm lucky to be alive! Can you grab my armor for me?" Bulma dug out the capsule that her armor case was in for her and chuckled.  
"Well, you look ok now! Man, I'm glad I can't fight; I couldn't handle being all raggedy! But you always look good! Hey, did you find any Dragonballs?" Raimi laughed as she scrubbed the Iso-tank goop out of her hair.  


"Yes, you could say that I did, but I couldn't get them away from where they were." Bulma frowned at this, but then Raimi stepped out and wrapped herself in a towel. "There is no time, Bulma. Kurilin will be here soon, and I gotta be ready, since Vegeta is out there too." She wrapped her hair up in another towel and popped her armor case. She pulled on the black stretch suit and then the gold-tipped boots. She wriggled into the battle jacket, and tugged on the gloves, then motioned Bulma ahead of her as she left the room, dropping the towels as she went.  


"Wait outside, I gotta get a snack." She said, and Bulma smiled.  
"You and Goku, always hungry!" She went outside and Raimi grabbed about twelve health bars and a gallon of milk and went outside too. She sat on the ground in front of Bulma, and munched contentedly.  
"So, you are expecting some trouble, aren't you? You haven't worn the armor since the big fight, so it makes sense." Bulma said as Raimi looked over her shoulder. She nodded.  


"Yeah, I'm in for a tough couple of days I think. Even if I'm not, I need more protection, that Fuku was just making me a target! Yeesh, It's not easy being a Saiyan, everyone hates us, no questions asked! I guess it's understandable, if you look at Vegeta." She sighed, and tore into the fifth bar. She reached out with her senses, and felt Kurilin coming, with not only Vegeta, but also Zarbon on his tail.  


They were way out there, but all three were putting out so much power that she could feel them clearly. She growled and her tail lashed angrily. She climbed to her feet and waited, swallowing the last of the milk. She stepped back behind Bulma and sure enough, Kurilin appeared quickly. Bulma should have been expecting him but wasn't. She fell behind the rock she was sitting on and peered at him warily. Raimi was watching the sky, ignoring the argument as Bulma chewed him out. Then she looked down and smiled sadly as they admired Iishinchu, the one-star Dragonball, which was huge in Kurilins arms.  


"Wow, it's so big! These must be very powerful!" Bulma said, eyes sparkling as she dreamed of wishing her Yamcha back. Kurilin asked about Gohan, and was informed that he was retrieving the Dragonball that Vegeta had left in the last Namek village. Kurilin grinned evilly and outlined a plan to take them to Saichorou, the eldest Namek, so he could awaken both Gohan and Raimi's sleeping powers. Bulma smiled at this chance to see something other than the walls of a cave while on Namek. Then she saw a spark of light in the distance.  


"Look, here's Gohan now!" She said, sounding excited. Now they'd have two Dragonballs!  
"No, I'm afraid its not. Bulma, Kurilin, get behind me!" Raimi said, and stepped forward. Kurilin gaped in horror as he saw Vegeta drop to the ground in front of them. He smiled at them, eyes gleaming as he saw the Dragonball in Kurilins arms.  


"Aw, shimatta! How'd he find me?" Kurilin gasped. Raimi crossed her arms as she smiled evenly at the Prince. He looked over her shoulder, and his eyes fell on Bulma. Raimi was surprised to see his eyes widen, and a blush creep over his cheeks as he saw her friend. Bulma was shivering behind Kurilin, scared to death of the Saiyan, whom she'd never seen before in the flesh. Raimi turned back to Vegeta.  
"I see you found us." He didn't respond at first, but slowly moved his eyes to her.  


"Um, yeah. Well, you didn't try to hide yourself. And I saw Baldy with my last Dragonball, so, here I am. And who… " They both felt Zarbon's approach and looked in his direction, even though he wasn't visible yet.  
"It will have to wait. We have company." Vegeta said, ginning in anticipation. Raimi tilted her head and narrowed her eyes at the blue skinned man when he gracefully hung above them, grinning just like Vegeta. The two warriors stared at each other as Bulma went wild for Zarbons good looks.  


"Well Vegeta, you didn't really think you could escape from me, did you? And you," He pointed at Raimi, "I don't even have to break a sweat with you; Frieza doesn't care if I kill you now. But first I have to subdue Vegeta, so… " With that he dropped to the ground. Kurilin swallowed heavily as he recognized Zarbon as being part of Frieza's personal guard. He wondered at what Zarbon meant about Frieza not caring about Raimi anymore; just what kind of trouble had she gotten into this time?  


"I see that your little bald-headed friend has just what I'm looking for… " He leered at the Dragonball, but Kurilin leaned on front of Bulma, more worried about her safety than the Dragonball. She rather ungratefully leaned out into the open and waved at the handsome villain, cooing happily at his pretty face. Raimi and Vegeta both turned and looked at her, and then Vegeta chuckled.  


"Silly girl, too bad she doesn't know him like you do, eh Kirei?" Raimi sighed and blushed at her friend's silliness.  
"I don't care about them, Vegeta, all I want is the Dragonballs. Now, what did you do with them? " Vegeta smirked and pretended to ponder this stupid question, and shrugged.  
"I lost them." Kurilin and Bulma were shocked to hear that Vegeta had some of the Dragonballs, and wondered when this was going to end.  


"All right hotshot, now you've done it. I was prepared to go easy on you, but I guess you don't know a good deal when you see one." Zarbon said. Raimi edged over towards her friends, and glared at Zarbon when he looked at her, his gaze promising even more pain than last time. Vegeta smiled and laughed at Zarbon, enjoying his gullibility. Zarbon had no idea what he was in for, now that he and Raimi had been healed.  


"I'm tired of all this talk. Its time to put up or shut up." He said. Zarbon growled and jumped into it.  
Raimi Kurilin and Bulma watched as they fought. Vegeta seemed to have the advantage, though he played with Zarbon at first, allowing him to feel stronger, until Vegeta showed how much stronger he was.   


Finally, Zarbon had to transform (Grossing Bulma out in the process) and tried again to defeat the Prince utterly. Vegeta taunted him, and showed far superior fighting skills, leading the larger creature a wild chase all over the sky before closing in on him. Finally, Vegeta landed a punch into Zarbons back, which shoved the huge monster into the the water far below.  


When Zarbon emerged from the lake, he was obviously very battered, his armor shattered, clothes shredded, and covered with cuts and bruises. He panted heavily, but refused to accept the obvious fact of Vegeta's superior strength.  


"Give it up or else Vegeta!" He yelled. Vegeta laughed at him and shrugged.  
"Give it up or else what? I'm just getting warmed up. So, I suggest that you leave now, while I'm feeling good!"  


Zarbon laughed at this as well. "I see you must have gotten brain damage; you have forgotten how easily I defeated both of you last time!" Kurilin looked up at Raimi, realizing that this monster must have attacked both Vegeta and Raimi very recently. But if that was true, how come they looked fine? There wasn't a bruise or cut on either of them… Raimi's face showed that truth of it though, he'd never seen her so angry and ruthless. Her smile was positively cruel as she watched Vegeta toy with Zarbon like a cat with a mouse.  


"I see you don't understand about Saiyans and our special powers. Every time we fight, we get stronger; the closer to death we get and then recover, we get even more powerful yet. So its you who will suffer this time, Pretty-boy!" Raimi said loudly. Zarbon growled at her, as Vegeta laughed uproariously.  


"Aw, you told him! But she's right, you can't beat me now, Zarbon." He said, adjusting his stance slightly, sure that the last attack was coming. Sure enough, Zarbon rushed at him, and they sparred for a few seconds, before Vegeta suddenly rained blows into Zarbon's huge abdomen. The monster was stunned by the pain and shock, and stood, holding Vegeta's head in his hands. Bulma and Kurilin yelped in disbelief as they stood still as statues.  
"Ah, but… But Vegeta, wait for a moment… I just want the Dragonballs… just give them to me and I'll… "  


"Still in denial, Zarbon? You cannot defeat him… " Raimi said, looking excited. She couldn't help it, she had felt the same watching Goku and Vegeta fight before, it was her Saiyan nature. Vegeta rolled his eyes to her, and smiled grimly. His fist, still buried into Zarbon's belly, began to glow as he powered up. Zarbon's back began to swell outwards, and he made a terrible noise in his throat. No one could move as the swelling exploded, blue white energy shooting into the sky behind him. His eyes seemed to go blank, and Vegeta sort of hitched his shoulders; the body flew backwards, and landed back in the lake with a huge splash. There was a long silence as the scene sank into everyone's minds. Bulma sort of gagged; Kurilin felt cold terror scramble inside his belly; and Raimi realized that she was stuck now, and had to somehow give him the Dragonball without seeming to want to do so.  


"Oops, he got wet! I know how Zarbon hates to get wet… " Vegeta smirked, and straightened, turning to the three watchers. He frowned for a second, and then smiled almost kindly.  
"I almost forgot!" He walked towards them, as they eyed him warily. "Now, I'll just take that, if you don't mind. You don't mind now, do you?" He said, holding out his hand. Kurilin drew back, turning so the Dragonball was behind him.  


"No way! I'll die first!" He said bravely.  
"Yes, you will." Vegeta nodded. "So I guess I'll kill you first, and then her… " He looked at Bulma, who shivered.  
"You leave her alone, Vegeta!" Kurilin said in panic. Raimi was waiting, seemingly forgotten for the moment.  


"I will leave her alone, if you give it too me, I don't care about you guys at all, I only want the Dragonball." Kurilin looked down at Iishinchu, and realized that he had little choice in this. He remembered that Raimi had been "programmed" to not allow Vegeta to be hurt, and probably couldn't fight him herself either. He looked up at the gloating Saiyan, and started to hand it over…  


When Bulma of all people grabbed it from him...  



	9. VIIII

The Soul and The Flesh~Frieza Saga Part VIIII "I will leave her alone, if you give it too me, I don't care about you guys at all, I only want the Dragonball." Vegeta smirked at them. Kurilin looked down at Iishinchu, and realized that he had little choice in this. He remembered that Raimi had been "programmed" to not allow Vegeta to be hurt, and probably couldn't fight him herself either. He looked up at the gloating Saiyan, and started to hand it over...  


When Bulma of all people grabbed it from him.  


"No, we can't! We can't give it to him, we won't be able to make our wish to get Yamcha and the others back!" Bulma yelled, and clutched it tightly. Everyone was stunned, Bulma herself most of all. When did she lose her mind like this, defying Vegeta to attack her?  


"What? You can't be serious, Woman." Vegeta said, eyes wide. He couldn't believe this. Bulma backed into the wall behind her, shaking her head. Vegeta shoved Kurilin aside and stalked up to her...  
And came face to face with Raimi, who stood in his way with arms outspread.  


"Don't you touch her, Vegeta!" She said, voice low and very serious. This wasn't going right at all, and she wasn't sure what to do, but knew she'd never let him hurt Bulma. She could feel her friend shiver behind her, and wondered at Bulma's courage. Bulma was almost an avowed coward, ready to run at the drop of a hat, and now she was playing keep-away with the Dragonball. In light of this, Raimi realized she had to do something.  


"Listen, to me; I want that Dragonball, and I'll kill each of you, one at a time if she doesn't give it to me, _now_!" Vegeta said, voice equally angry. He wanted no more delays in his getting his wish, and meant what he said. Raimi didn't move, and they stared at each other for long seconds, while everyone waited. He sighed suddenly; he thought this was the last of the Dragonballs, so he was feeling generous.  


"Fine. I'll only say this once. You, Woman. I'm giving you thirty seconds; if you don't give me that thing, I'm going to kill baldy here. So, do what you want, but you're next!" Kurilin went pale, and dropped into a defensive posture; sure he couldn't possibly fight off the Prince. Raimi whirled around and covered Bulma's hands with her own.  


"Bulma, please, let him have it. I promise, I swear, it will be all right. I swear, we will get our friends back, Yamcha too. Please, don't do this, let me take it... " Bulma looked at her, tears in her eyes. She bit her lip, looking betrayed.  


"Raimi, why? I don't understand... wait, is this... Is this what is supposed to happen?" Bulma choked, shaking her head. She didn't protest as Raimi took Iishinchu from her gently, and handed it to Vegeta without looking at him. She felt sick, and hated herself for this. She remembered him as taking it from them before, but she still felt like a rat. Vegeta took Iishinchu from her, more puzzled than triumphant. He watched Raimi hug the taller blue haired girl, whispering in her ear gently, and wondered at what was going on.  


"You have it; now go, Vegeta. Go!" Raimi hissed, still not looking at him. He turned and looked at Kurilin, who glared at him in impotent rage. Then he took off, leaving the three to lick their wounds in peace, feeling strangely disturbed by what had just happened, but only for one moment... The triumph of having all seven Dragonballs wiped his confusion away quickly.  
~~~~~~~~~  
"Raimi, I can't understand this! You gave it to him?" Kurilin said. She nodded and stroked Bulma's hair as she shuddered in Raimi's arms. Bulma was realizing what she'd just done, and was in shock.  
"He can't make a wish without all seven Balls. Gohan has the last one... "  
"And how do we know he won't find Gohan as he comes back here?" Raimi shook her head.  


"I don't really know anymore. Things are changing, Kurilin, things aren't quite right anymore. I wonder why... "  
"Its you. You weren't involved in this, were you? You are making things change, just by being here." Bulma said shakily. Raimi winced, but had to admit that this was the most likely reason. But if this was true, how could she keep helping her friends? Should she try to not do anything anymore? Kurilin saw her worry, and sighed, coming up and patting her arm.  


"Hey, let's not worry too much about that. It's too late for it, and I'm still glad you're here to do what you can. So, let's try to plan what's up next." Bulma nodded, and stood taller, smiling at her friends. She was still amazed at herself, but was hopeful that Gohan would come through for them. They all turned to the direction Vegeta had flown off to expectantly.  
~~~~~~~~~  
Gohan did finally arrive, panting from flying so fast. He laughed as he told of running into Vegeta and hiding Sushinchu from him. He hadn't gotten away unscathed, but he could live with sore ribs.  


"Well, this is good. Now, you three listen. We have to hide Bulma, and you two should go see Saichorou. I'm going to go and try to keep Vegeta from finding you guys too quickly. I can't really stop him, but I also want to guard the Dragonballs he has from any of Frieza's stray men." Bulma sucked in a deep breath to protest this plan.  


"Bulma! No, I'm not waiting here, but I do have advice for you; watch Sushinchu closely, tie it to your ankle or something, but don't let it out of your sight! I can tell you, I saw you having one hell of a time, but if you keep out of sight, and don't let it get away from you, you should be able to avoid this trouble."  


"But Raimi, maybe you should come with us, and have your powers awakened too!" Gohan said. Raimi was very tempted, but just didn't feel like it was possible; her inner sense, honed by her Sensei Kakarrot told her to do as she'd said. She knew better than to ignore this inner voice. She sighed sadly; she really wanted to meet Saichorou, but she probably wouldn't get the chance. She shook her head.  


"No, I don't think I should go. I might be able to keep him distracted if I go find him now. Ok, get going, and gook luck, guys! Goku is almost here, just one more day!" They all nodded, and held out their hands in a team gesture, and took off in their own directions.  
~~~~~~~~~  
Raimi found Vegeta's Dragonballs quickly, surprised that he hadn't hidden them again. He either trusted her, or didn't care, believing perhaps that he could defeat her easily if he had to. Whatever the reason, she sat on Chiishinchu and waited for him. She didn't have to wait long. He arrowed in within fifteen minutes and dropped down quickly, not realizing that she was there until he saw her. He snarled and raised one hand, _Ki_ flaring around him.  


"Whoa! Easy there, down boy! I'm not here to cause a problem, Vegeta, I'm here to help." He didn't seem convinced, but didn't attack her either. She stood and walked up to him. He stepped back and lowered his head.  
"What are you doing here?" He asked. She shrugged.  


"It's a long story. But the short version is that I want to make sure that Frieza doesn't get these, should something happen. So, here I am. What, I did give you Iishinchu, so maybe you should just relax. If I wanted to take them, I'd have done so already."  


She had a point. He growled and pushed past her and rolled the Dragonball into the crevice with the others. Raimi folded her arms and waited patiently for him to do something. But Vegeta just sat on Iishinchu, and sighed.  


"How did he find it? Your friends have a Dragonball locator, don't they? That little punk, I'm gonna kill him!" He said, voice low. He looked up at her angrily. Raimi shrugged, and came closer. He sat up straighter. "Man, I don't suppose you'll tell me where they are, so I have to wait." He really wanted to kill her, just because he was furious, but didn't. There would be time after he made his wish, all the time in the world to make her and her friends suffer for this delay.  


"I honestly don't know where they are. But you are correct, I wouldn't tell you anyway, even if I did. Do you want my help or not?" She said, sure somehow that he wouldn't turn her down. She doubted if he'd ever been alone for this long in his life, what with Nappa and Raditz being his bodyguards since he was a boy. Though he'd never admit it, he was probably lonely.  


Vegeta growled something about bothersome females, and stay if she wanted, he didn't care. So, Raimi threw her lot in with his once more, and sat on Chiishinchu again. There was silence between them for a long time, as Vegeta tried to feel out Gohan and Kurilin, and Raimi tried to keep from falling asleep...  
~~~~~~~~~  
"Hey, Kirei!" Raimi jumped awake, looking for trouble, and saw Vegeta. She rubbed her eyes and yawned.  
"Hmmm, sorry, what's up?" She said, stretching, her armor creaking as she stood. Vegeta grinned and pointed. Outside the crevice, a HUGE dinosaur-like creature lay, its neck obviously broken. She stared at it in wonder and then looked at him.  
"Wow. Um, why did you kill it?" She asked. He raised an eyebrow and shook his head.  


"Because I'm hungry. Want some?" Raimi blinked and thought about it. She realized that they couldn't cook it, and went pale at the thought of eating it raw. She was about to demure but he turned and using a _Ki_ no Tsurugi blade, sliced off a huge back leg. He dragged it closer to the crevice and rested both hands on it. Raimi felt his _Ki_ rise gently, and could smell something. He was cooking it with his _Ki_! She went over and watched him as he stepped back and sat down.  


"It will take a few minutes. You gonna have some or not?" Raimi nodded and sat next to him. She wondered at his kindness, and decided that it was only because the darn thing was so huge, there was plenty even for two Saiyans. She took off her gloves and rolled up her sleeves, and then dug around for her capsules. As she looked at them, Vegeta peered over her shoulder, curious.  
"What are those?"  


"Hoi-Poi capsules; Bulma makes them. I'm looking for a drink... Ah, here we go!" She selected one and popped the button. The Prince jumped when it expanded into a large refrigerator full of cold drinks. She opened it and took a liter bottle of cola for herself and pondered what to give Vegeta. She settled on root beer (She didn't want to give him caffeine if she could help it!) and handed him his bottle. She recapsuled the 'fridge and sat down. Vegeta was sipping his soda, a strange look on his face.  


"What's wrong, you don't like it?" Raimi asked. He shook his head.  
"I don't know, its all bubbly. What is it?" He sniffed the bottle and Raimi smiled as he sneezed from the carbonation.  
"It's an Earth drink, called root beer. I have other soda, or maybe something not fizzy... " He grunted and drank it, finally declaring it sufficient. She hid her grin and waited for the dinosaur to finish cooking.  



	10. X

The Soul and The Flesh~Frieza Saga Part X After they were done, (they ate the whole thing, rare though it was, nonstop, to Raimi's surprise) Raimi felt sleepy again, but didn't want to rest just yet. She sat by Chiishinchu and looked at it, finally able to really study a Dragonball up close. Though it looked like it was, it wasn't made of glass. It was cool to the touch and hard, but warmed quickly as she handled it, and it had a _Ki_ signature as well. The stars always looked the same; in other words, they seemed to always be in the same place, no matter how she turned it. And, if she powered up a little, they all glowed in response to her _Ki_. They were very beautiful too, glistening in the sunlight.  


"I wonder how they are made. They can take lots of abuse... Hmmm, I'll have to ask Kami-sama when we get home." She said softly. Vegeta was watching her, still wary. He didn't know what to think of her. She was so confusing, helping him now, and stopping him later on. She was a mystery, one he wasn't sure he wanted to understand too well.  


"Hey, just how did you end up on Chikyu-sei anyway? Only Kakarrot should have been there." He said suddenly. Raimi looked up at him and frowned slightly.  
"To be honest, I don't know. I have no memory before two years ago. I may have been born there, or out in space somewhere."  


"And where were you trained? I'd swear you were Saiyan trained, but it would be impossible, only Nappa, Raditz and myself were left... " He paused, realizing that this wasn't true, and Raimi herself was the proof. Maybe there were other Saiyans stranded on planets out there...  


"I was... Well it's hard to explain." He looked at her meaningfully. They had nothing but time right now, so she might as well tell the story. She frowned a little. Should she tell him though? It could prove dangerous to the already unstable timeline.  


There was a deep rumble, and then the earth shook violently beneath them. Both of them looked up, alarmed, but then Vegeta smirked. He strolled to the edge of the lake and looked around. Raimi joined him, and them felt a new tremor start. She also felt a sharp rise in Frieza's _Ki_, which was followed by another earthquake.  
"So, he's impatient, eh?" Raimi said, smiling. Vegeta nodded.  


"Well, we can just sit tight here. He'd never expect us to be here, we're too close to the ship." He said. They turned slightly, feeling a massive _Ki_ bolt bearing down upon them. Raimi saw it, a huge red ball that was leaving a wide swath of barren land behind it. It flew by them, and they ducked, covering their heads as the shockwave enveloped them. The explosion as it hit was deafening, and they ran backwards to prevent the mini-tsunami from drenching them.  


"Man, he's worked up!" Raimi yelled over the roar of another ball. Vegeta smirked and stopped Sanshinkyu & Oshinchu from rolling into the lake. This reminded Raimi of Bulma's little adventure, the one from the Anime. She grinned; she'd taken care of a pair of Frieza's soldiers that had been identical to the guys that harassed her friend, so hopefully Bulma would not have to deal with that little fiasco. She jumped and caught Chiishinchu and then sat and stretched her legs out, nearly doing the splits, blocking the entrance to the niche the Dragonballs were in with her legs. Vegeta sat with his back to the wall, his feet touching her left foot.  


"Good idea. I'm not quite that limber though, so you stay there." He said, and watched the water in the lake sloshing madly as it slowly calmed once more. Raimi was relieved to see that he fell silent, his question seemingly forgotten, at least for now. She leaned back and looked up at the sky, trying to feel the rapidly approaching Goku and the Ginyu-tokusentai. She frowned, deep in concentration.  


"Hey! What are you doing?" Vegeta said loudly, making her snap to attention.  
"Looking for trouble, what else?" She said, a little peeved. "You know, nastiness is not a desirable trait in companions, no matter how briefly they are together!"  
"Bah, I am as I want to be, and soon I'll be the strongest warrior in the universe!" He growled back. He calmed slightly. "So, why are you and your friends here on Namek? What were you guys going to wish for?" Raimi chuckled and smiled at him, a strange glint in her eye. He had a strange idea that she knew something he didn't.  


"Well, we want to bring our friends back to life, the ones Nappa killed, remember? But, there is a deeper, far more important reason for all of us, even you, to be here." Her voice was quiet, and her face mysterious. He felt a strange chill wash over him as she stared at him intently. He fidgeted, not wanting to ask her what she meant. But Raimi just sat there, looking scary until Vegeta gave in.  


"Ok, ok, what the hell are you talking about?" He yelled. Raimi leaned forward and folded her legs into a lotus-like position.  
"You see, it's Frieza. He must be stopped, at all costs. He has destroyed so many lives, even the planets these lives were lived on, and it has to stop, now. So while all you guys, both my friends and you yourself, think we are scrambling for the Dragonballs, we are really taking down the Tyrant. And, to make sure this happens, Goku is on his way right now." Predictably, Vegeta leapt to his feet, eyes blazing.  


"KAKARROT is coming here!?!? He's on his way right now?" He nearly screeched. Raimi winced and nodded, rubbing her ears. Vegeta smiled broadly, like he was envisioning something really wonderful; Raimi could only imagine what he was thinking of doing to Goku.  
"Ah, but you don't know everything yet... " He paused and swung his eyes to her worriedly. " You see, before Frieza smacked me into oblivion for what I did... "  
"What did you do?" He interrupted, voice low. Raimi blushed and looked away.  


"I... well, he threatened to find Gohan and Kurilin and kill them to make me talk, and I kinda lost my temper. I ah, well, I spat in his face I was so disgusted. So he hit me, knocked me right out, but I lived, so forget it." Vegeta was wide eyed, staring at her with awe and some respect.  
"Well, you may not be that great a fighter, but you have guts!" Raimi felt her temper rise again at his comment, but bit her tongue.  


"Anyway, as I was saying, I heard him order Apuru to call for the Ginyu-tokusentai. Does that make any sense to you?" She asked innocently, watching him for his reaction to this news. She had to pretend not to know who they were, but Vegeta should know. Obviously he did; he was going pale with what could only be fear. It was very strange to see fear on Vegeta's face, and she felt bad right away. However, he recovered quickly.  


"Yeah, I know of 'em. So they are coming to Namek... This is bad. And I haven't made my wish yet because of Kakarrot's brat! Kuso, now what am I going to do? Even with that brats help, and you me and baldy, we can't beat them unless I'm immortal!" He said, his voice tight. Raimi shook her head.  


"You don't get it, do you? You fight for all the wrong reasons, and this is why you lost to Goku. You fight from anger, and for revenge, to hurt your opponent, and this lacks both honor and true power. You can't defeat these guys, not even if you're immortal. You use all your energy in one quick flash of rage, and are spent. Goku fights for totally different reasons.  


"Goku fights to protect others, to save lives and to see if he's the strongest, the best fighter around. He doesn't set out to kill his opponents, unless there is no other choice. Now this can be a weakness itself, but his lack of ambition can more than make up for it. And, he rarely fights in anger, or allows himself to become unbalanced by rage. And, the secret of all _female_ fighters is that survival is a sharper goad to win than politics and greed, and Goku seems to understand this. So, until you find a real reason to fight, one that can sustain itself, you will continue to lose." Raimi said evenly, but prepared herself to flee if need be.  


Vegeta did indeed look furious, but she could see that he was thinking about her words. She saw him mulling over this, trying to understand what she was saying. He probably acknowledged the truth of his own reasons for fighting, but not the inherent weaknesses of them. He was raised in a survival of the fittest type of setting, and just couldn't make the leap to understanding Goku's philosophy on Martial Arts. Raimi further confused him with her next words.  


"Sun-tzu, an ancient warrior-philosopher said this about invulnerability: 'Being unconquerable lies with oneself; being conquerable lies with one's enemy.' You must learn to judge your opponent more accurately, and exploit weakness, rather than just try to pummel them into submission. The first fight with Zarbon was like that, remember? And I always try to remember another phrase. 'Water is flexible. Pour it into a cup, and it becomes the cup. Pour it unto a river, and it becomes the river. Be water, and become a force of nature against your opponent.' And it works for me, except when my opponent is just to strong for me, no matter what my skill!" Raimi watched the sky as the proud Prince digested this surprising lecture from a surprising source.  


"So, because I want to win, I will always lose, right? So why did I win until your precious Kakarrot beat me?" He sneered.  
"Because, you were sent into battles you could not lose. Frieza, all of your life, has tricked you this way. If he truly needed big power, these Ginyu would have been called. You were pushed just enough to fool you, I'd say... " Before he could blow up at her, they both felt a flicker of _Ki_, and saw that Gohan and Kurilin were the source of it. Raimi jumped to her feet, as Vegeta grabbed Iishinchu under one arm.  


"Stay here, I'm after them!" He yelled, and took off. Raimi yelled that she wasn't his slave, but he was gone too fast to hear her. She sighed and looked at the five remaining Dragonballs glittering in the light of two of Nameks suns. She had to stay, but she knew it would be futile. The Ginyu were almost here, and everyone was going to pay for the inconvenience Frieza had suffered by taking the Dragonballs from him. She sighed and began doing katas to loosen up her limbs. It was going to get very ugly very soon.  



	11. XI

The Soul and The Flesh~Frieza Saga Part XI Raimi was sipping her cola when she felt it; a shockwave of Ki that was huge and evil. She swallowed the rest of the bottle and stood right in front of the Dragonballs, feeling ill from all of the Ginyu-tokusenati's combined Ki. She knew they were strong, but this was just very bad. It was hard to pick out individual Ki's from the group, especially from Ginyu himself, and since they were close to Frieza, the tiny tyrant further interrupted her senses.  


"Come on guys, get here!!" Raimi hissed under her breath. She forced herself to breathe evenly, and sought the peaceful no-mind state Kami-sama had taught her. She slowly calmed, so by the time Gohan Kurilin and Vegeta arrived, she was ready. Vegeta dashed to her, smiling triumphantly, positive he would finally get his wish.  


"Oiya, Begita, niokureteiru sore ni. Ginyu-tokusentai tokchaku suru." ' It's too late, Vegeta. The Ginyu are here.' She said quickly, eyes on Kurilin, who looked less angry than pleased that she was there with Vegeta's Dragonballs. Vegeta frowned.  


"Well, we have to hurry then!" He turned, and paused as he saw Kurilin and Gohan standing too far away to be intending to help him. Kurilin held Sushinchu tightly to his chest, and Gohan was slightly ahead of him, both ready to defend it by whatever means necessary. Vegeta read their intent to trick him immediately.  
"What are you two thinking? Bring it here now!" He said, eyes narrowing impatiently.  


"You must be crazy, Vegeta! We aren't giving you this Dragonball!" Kurilin told him, eyes narrowed in his frightened face.  
"What? Why you two... " Vegeta raised his hand, palm flat out as his Ki rose, but it was too late. Even as he stalked forward, the Ginyu dropped out of the sky, landing between him and Raimi, who still was by the Dragonballs. He stepped back in shock, and then stood straight, smiling ironically.  


"Well, if it isn't the Ginyu-tokusentai, here on Namek. You didn't come all the way here on my account, did you?" He said, looking angry but in control.  


Before him stood five creatures; all of them had very high Ki and special abilities that made them very formidable opponents. Recoome was a humanoid with a wild bush or red hair; he stood over eight feet tall and was massively muscled, Bata was a very tall, long limbed purple creature with no hair and huge solid red eyes. He towered over the rest of the tokusentai, especially his buddy Jusu. Jusu was rather handsome, despite his orange skin. He had long thick pure white hair and a smug smirk that was instantly annoying. Then there was Captain Ginyu himself. He was actually kind of majestic, tall and sculpted, with lavender skin and horns similar to Frieza's on either side of his head. His face was handsome as well, despite the odd color and bald horned head. Then there was the very short and round Gurudo, who had four eyes and green skin. He felt like the weakest member, but surely had some secret skill, or he wouldn't be one of the Ginyu.  


"Why hello Vegeta; my, haven't you been the naughty boy?" Ginyu said. Raimi wasn't able to see them well, since their backs were turned to her. She stood, arms crossed over her chest and glared at Recoome as he turned and looked at her.  
"Um, Captain, look at this! It's that girl Frieza told us about, and she's the one with the Dragonballs!" Everyone turned to look at her; Raimi blushed under the scrutiny, but didn't move.  


"Hello, gentlemen. I take it you want to get these from me?" She said cheerfully. Kurilin gulped as the team leaned forward. She clenched her fists under her arms, trying to not show her fear. Zarbon had been nothing compared to these guys!  
"Why, yes, that happens to be the idea. And, Frieza wants you and Vegeta over for a little chat, you don't mind do you?" Ginyu said. Raimi pretended to ponder this "invitation", and sighed regretfully.  


"Hmm, I'm sorry, but we must decline this kind offer. He serves truly terrible refreshments, you see. Why don't you tell him, and entertain him for me?" She said. Ginyu chuckled, amused by her sprightly reply.  
"Ah, but this is not negotiable. You and the monkey boy, and the Dragonballs are coming... "  


"Says who? I'm not going anywhere, she's not going anywhere, and neither are the Dragonballs. So forget it, you mutant freaks!" Vegeta snapped angrily. He didn't like this delay, and he was worried that they would just kill Raimi and take the Balls right away. He could care less about her, but those Dragonballs were his!  


"Vegeta, Vegeta, calm yourself. You see, Frieza wants you alive, but I'm sure he'll forgive me if you aren't in one piece after all... understand? Now, why not hand over that Dragonball, and we can get going?" Ginyu said smoothly. The rest of the team snickered, while Raimi and her friends were pondering how to keep things from blowing up too quickly. Vegeta looked down at Iishinchu, and saw his dreams as only being on hold, not crushed. He looked back up at the team of huge creatures between him and the rest of the Dragonballs, and smirked. Then he saw a scurrying motion, and Gurudo, the short four eyed member of the team was before him, taunting him about their past entanglements. Vegeta growled at the reptilian man, and then smiled.  


"Hi, four eyes! Hey, how'd you like to have four black eyes?" Gurudo hissed in fury, but Recoome reminded him to not hurt Vegeta too badly. Gurudo backed down reluctantly, but growled to himself as he stepped back.  


They all turned to look at Vegeta now, and Raimi could breath again, but she didn't know what to do. She couldn't just leave the balls here, and she couldn't fight these guys either. She wondered for a moment, when she saw Kurilin point to Gohan, and then to his own temple. She frowned, and then realized what he wanted her to do. On the month long trip here, she and Gohan had worked on the telepathy Saiyans could use on each other, and had honed their ability to communicate like this. She stared at him now, and he blinked, confused.  


"Gohan, tell Kurilin that I have to let them take the Balls, I'm not strong enough to face Ginyu! But, It's ok, you just have to trust me one more time!" She thought at him. His eyes went out of focus for a second, and then he edged closer to Kurilin. He whispered to his friend, who nodded reluctant agreement to her words. It was obvious that it would take the combined efforts of Vegeta, Raimi and Goku to put a dent into Ginyu's Ki. And Goku wasn't here yet...  
~~~~~~~~~  
The team and Vegeta had been verbally sparring while the three of them were 'talking', and they all jumped when Vegeta leapt up high in the air, turned, and tossed Iishinchu as hard as he could, gambling that Gohan still had the Dragonradar, and could find it in the depths of the ocean. However, Vegeta didn't know about Bata's unique talent, which was the reason he was part of the Ginyu-tokusentai. Bata was one of the fastest creatures that even Frieza knew of, and he was after Iishinchu in the blink of an eye. He had caught it and returned before Vegeta's feet hit the ground. The Prince yelled in fury when he turned and saw Iishinchu in the tall purple creatures hands. Ginyu laughed outright at their shock.  


"No way, nothing is that fast! It was out of sight already!" Gohan said, eyes wide. Kurilin just choked and Raimi tossed her hands into the air, frustrated by her own inability to do anything to prevent them taking the Dragonballs.  
"Yes, Bata is quite the fast one, ne? Now, could you hand me that one, hmm?" Ginyu asked politely. Kurilin went pale, as he became the center of attention. Vegeta whirled and pointed at him.  


"Destroy it!" he snapped, his voice a command that Kurilin obeyed without even thinking. He lifted his right fist and swung it down at Sushinchu. As he did this, Raimi leapt forward and kneed Gurudo in the back. They both sprawled forward, tumbling at Vegeta's feet. Raimi rolled to her feet, while Gurudo suddenly appeared, back on his feet and next to Ginyu. Raimi doubled over as her abdomen hurt suddenly, as if she'd been punched in the belly.  


"Ah, little beast!" She hissed, falling to one knee. Vegeta looked down at her briefly, but couldn't really take his eyes off Sushinchu, cradled in Gurudo's arms. Kurilin was blinking, baffled by how the Dragonball was now in the fat guys arms, and Raimi was acting like she'd been hit when no one could have possibly touched her.  


"So, its true, what they say... " Vegeta said softly. Raimi nodded and stood slowly. She hadn't succeeded, but at least she'd tried to stop him. She didn't think anyone but the Namekian who'd created them could destroy Dragonballs anyway.  
"Um, excuse me, Vegeta, but what do you mean? What do they say?" Gohan asked. The Prince snorted in disgust.  


"It seems this slimeball has the ability to freeze a moment in time. After she hit him, he froze time, took the Dragonball, and then hit her back for good measure. Then when time moved again, she felt it, but no one could see it happen, since it was over already... " He said. Gurudo was very pleased with himself, sniggering next to Recoome and Ginyu. Kurilin was gaping at the monsters that now had all the Dragonballs.  


"Man, this is terrible!" He groaned, and Gohan nodded beside him. Raimi still eyed Gurudo, while Vegeta growled like a beast next to her. Her ribs had stopped hurting, which meant she was already healed. The little fiend wasn't all that strong at least.  
"Well, I have to bring these to Frieza. You guys can Jan-Ken-Pon for the two little ones, and bring Vegeta and the girl to Frieza when you're done..."  



End file.
